D DPRK criticises US for setting up military alliance like NATO

The photo taken on June 25, 2022, shows the mass rally to mark the day of struggle against US imperialism on the 72 nd anniversary of the three-year Korean War, which began on June 25, 1950, at the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum in Pyongyang. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea accused the United States of setting up a military alliance like NATO in Asia, saying the unwavering US aim to oust the DPRK government compelled it to develop stronger defenses.

The DPRK has been criticised by concerns it could be preparing its first nuclear test in five years, and after a recent agreement between the US President Joe Biden and Republic of Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol to deploy more US weapons if necessary to deter Pyongyang.

While blatantly holding joint military exercises with Japan and South Korea, the United States is making a full-fledged move to establish an Asia-style NATO, DPRK's foreign ministry said on Sunday. South Korea is also known as the ROK.

ALSO READ: ROK's Yoon calls for a UN response to DPRK's provocations.

Japanese, ROK and US forces recently conducted military exercises. The United States held exercises with ROK forces that involved a US aircraft carrier for the first time in more than four years.

The DPRK ministry said that this proves the hypocrisy of the US rhetoric of 'diplomatic engagement' and 'dialogue without preconditions, while at the same time revealing that there is no change in the US ambition to overthrow our system by force.

It said that we need to make all-out efforts to develop stronger power in order to be able to subdue all kinds of hostile acts by the United States.

The United States insists that DPRK give up its nuclear weapons and has repeatedly offered to meet DPRK officials at any time without any preconditions to discuss the issue.

READ MORE: DPRK appoints Choe Son-hui as new foreign minister.

The DPRK criticism came a day before ROK's president left to attend a NATO summit in Spain, the first ROK leader to do so.

ROK, aiming to strengthen its relationship with NATO and play a larger global security role, plans to send a delegation to NATO at its Brussels headquarters, according to ROK's national security adviser last week.