North Korea warns of 'more offensive' response to US drills
11:22, 18/09/2026, FridayU: Update: 11:25, 18/09/2026, Friday
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Kim Yo Jong warned on Friday that North Korea will adopt a "more offensive" posture against US-led multinational exercises in the Asia-Pacific, claiming Washington is the "main source" of tensions, as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung urged Seoul to facilitate renewed dialogue between Pyongyang and the White House.
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a senior Workers' Party official, accused Washington on Friday of being the "main source" of worsening tensions on the Korean Peninsula and across the region. Speaking in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), she singled out Pacific Vanguard 2026, a multinational naval exercise near Guam involving the US, South Korea, Japan, and other countries, calling the maneuvers a threatening "war game" designed to expand American military influence through regional alliances.
She criticized growing trilateral military cooperation between Washington, Tokyo, and Seoul, claiming North Korea was its primary target. "The present situation ... stresses the need to break records in our responsive action, proportional or more offensive in its nature," Kim said, adding that there would be "never ever change" in Pyongyang's course of strengthening its nuclear deterrence. She warned that North Korea could "mobilize all means available" if its sovereignty or security were seriously threatened.
Seoul urges diplomacy
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Friday that Seoul should make every effort to facilitate renewed dialogue between Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump, according to Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency. "The possibility cannot be ruled out," Lee told a televised news conference, adding that Seoul should do its "utmost" to help make such talks happen. He said renewed North Korea-US dialogue could become an important stepping stone toward restarting inter-Korean talks and promoting peace and stability on the peninsula.
The Pacific Vanguard exercise series brings together naval forces from the US, Japan, South Korea and other nations for combined training operations near Guam. Washington maintains approximately 28,500 troops in South Korea and conducts regular joint drills with Tokyo and Seoul, which Pyongyang routinely condemns as preparations for invasion.