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| ▲ A "strategic cruise missile" is fired from the 8.24 Yonggung submarine of North Korea in the waters of Kyongpho Bay in the East Sea at dawn on March 12, 2023, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The North launched two strategic cruise missiles from the submarine as it conducted an underwater drill on the eve of the Freedom Shield exercise, a regular South Korea-U.S. combined military exercise. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap) |
US-joint exercise-N Korea
N. Korean provocation cannot stop U.S.-S. Korea joint military drills: NSC coordinator
By Byun Duk-kun
WASHINGTON, March 14 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's continued provocations will not stop the United States from conducting joint military exercises with South Korea, a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) said Tuesday.
North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles on Tuesday (Korea time), marking its fifth missile launch this year.
"If they (missile launches) are designed to disrupt or delay alliance's training events, then they will fail," NSC coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby told a telephonic press briefing.
"We are going to continue to train with our ROK allies," he added, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.
The North's latest missile provocation came one day after Seoul and Washington launched a joint military drill, known as Freedom Shield.
"There's not going to be any change to our training with our Korean allies," Kirby reiterated.
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command earlier said the North Korean missiles fired Tuesday did not pose an immediate threat to the U.S. or allies, but pointed out that the missile launches were in violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.
North Korea fired an unprecedented 69 ballistic missiles in 2022, each in violation of Security Council resolutions.
Pyongyang has warned of "overwhelming actions" against joint military exercises of South Korea and the U.S., accusing them of being aimed at invading the North.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price dismissed the accusation on Monday, saying the joint military drills are "routine" and "purely defensive" events.
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