Kim Yo-jong, director of the Secretariat Department of the North Korean Workers' Party, warned on the 10th that "the show of national power by hostile forces that come near and stage drills in the sovereign security sphere of our state (North Korea) could easily lead to unimaginably horrific consequences," referring to the South Korea-U.S. combined exercise.
According to the Korean Central News Agency, Kim said in a statement released that day, "Rival states once again revealed their innate aversion to us and a concentrated expression of habitual hostile policy," making the remarks as the South Korean and U.S. militaries kicked off the large-scale joint exercise Freedom Shield (FS) on the 9th for 10 days.
Kim criticized the FS exercise while mentioning the U.S.-Israeli airstrike on Iran. Kim said, "Because of the reckless acts of tyrannical international rogues, the global security framework is rapidly collapsing, and wars are breaking out everywhere in this grave period," adding, "The war drill by the United States and South Korea being pushed ahead with in Korea will result in further undermining regional stability."
Kim added, "The enemies are once again brandishing the signs of 'annual' and 'defensive,' but no matter what justification they put up or how the training elements are adjusted, the crystal-clear confrontational nature of a high-intensity, large-scale, real-war rehearsal staged in collusion by the most hostile entities at our doorstep does not change in the slightest."
Kim then issued another warning. Kim said, "Our head of state has already declared that the law that the strongest offensive power is the most reliable deterrent is beyond doubt," adding, "The enemies must never try to test our patience, will, or capability."
Kim continued, "We will watch to what extent the enemy touches our state's security and what tricks they play," adding, "With a loading of destructive force that must be overwhelming, including all available special means, we will ironclad-manage the strategic threats to national and regional security through the responsible exercise of that deterrent."
Kim also stressed, "We will ceaselessly and repeatedly make our rivals perceive an image of our war deterrent and its lethality," adding, "We will lull an awful destructive power so that the enemy does not even dare to confront us and will defend the nation's steadfast peace."