North Korea: U.S. and South Korea Violated Agreements with Military Exercises

North Korean state media accused the United States and South Korea on Monday of violating their provisional peace agreements designed to reduce tensions across the Korean peninsula.

Last week, around 500 United States and South Korean marines began a series of military drills known as the Korean Marine Exchange Program (KMEP) despite President Donald Trump’s meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un suspending the activities.

In an editorial from the state newspaper Rodung Sinmun, the regime claims that the drills are a violation of a U.S. pledge to “end all hostile acts,” arguing it goes “directly against the inter-Korean military agreement that promised to eliminate practical threats of war and fundamental hostile relations from the Korean peninsula.”

“It’s an anachronistic military move to openly hold war drills aimed at others while the United States naval forces residing in Japan are also participating,” it continues. “In order to push the current situation of the Korean peninsula toward dialogue and peace, one should not conduct military action against the other side, but act in a friendly manner to help relieve tensions.”

A spokesperson for South Korea’s defense ministry dismissed the North’s criticism on Monday, claiming that the defensive exercises involved an extremely small number of soldiers.

The agreement signed in June called for both sides to indefinitely end all “hostilities” while negotiations were taking place. Both sides have continued to engage in limited levels of military activity, although the U.S. has canceled most exercises in a bid to promote continued dialogue.

Over the past months, North Korean state media has continued to lambast the U.S., accusing them of making “gangster-like” demands and warning of the dangers of American influence.

Last week, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley revealed that leading North Korean official Kim Yong Chol had postponed talks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo due to insufficient preparation.

“North Korea said they needed to postpone it,” Haley told reporters. “I don’t think there was some sort of major issue.They postponed it because they weren’t ready. We continue to stand ready to talk.”

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