North Korea slams Seoul-US air defence drills as tensions escalate

North Korea's Defence Ministry issued a formal statement on Friday objecting to the Freedom Flag air defence drills being conducted by South Korea and the United States, according to state media KCNA. The ministry characterised the joint exercises as destabilising moves that increase hostilities on the Korean Peninsula.

The drills, which bring together South Korean and American forces for coordinated air defence operations, have drawn repeated criticism from Pyongyang, which views such military collaboration between Seoul and Washington as provocative. The recurring denunciations reflect North Korea's longstanding opposition to what it perceives as threatening military posturing near its borders.

The statement from Pyongyang comes amid an already tense security environment on the peninsula. Joint exercises between South Korea and the United States have become a regular flashpoint in inter-Korean relations, with the North consistently using them to justify its own military developments and to rally domestic opinion against perceived external threats.

Such drills remain a core element of the security alliance between Seoul and Washington, with both countries arguing they are defensive in nature and necessary to maintain readiness. Despite Pyongyang's objections, South Korea and the United States have shown no signs of curtailing their military cooperation or exercise schedules.