North Korea decries South Korea-US security exercise in Washington as 'nuclear blackmail'

Seoul, Sep 8 (IANS) North Korea condemned South Korea and the United States on Sunday for holding simulation drills in Washington aimed at enhancing nuclear deterrence cooperation, calling them "nuclear threats and blackmail."

On Thursday and Friday (local time), Seoul and Washington conducted the first tabletop simulation of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), a key dialogue body for the allies' nuclear deterrence, to bolster nuclear deterrence and operational readiness on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea's foreign ministry issued a statement titled "We will continue to take practical measures to cope with the long-term nuclear confrontation with the US," according to the Korean Central News Agency.

The ministry expressed serious concern and bitterly denounced the drills, claiming they are disturbing regional strategic stability and increasing the possibility of a nuclear clash, Yonhap news agency reported quoting Korean Central News Agency.

"The US nuclear threat and blackmail will be thoroughly deterred by the DPRK's more perfect and developed nuclear forces for self-defence," the English-language statement said. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The North further claimed that Seoul and Washington have also conducted "nuclear war drills" in succession, by mentioning other exercises, such as Iron Mace 2 and Ulchi Freedom Shield.

"The DPRK will strictly control and manage the security situation of the Korean peninsula, which is getting ever more intense due to the US and its followers' nuclear war hysteria, and continue to take practical measures to cope with the long-term nuclear confrontation with the US," the statement added.

Seoul and Washington launched the NCG in July last year as part of the Washington Declaration issued by President Yoon Suk Yeol and US President Joe Biden at their summit three months earlier.

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