North Korea condemns U.S. ”Brave Shield” drills involving SDF

North Korea criticized the U.S. "Valiant Shield 22" exercise in which the Japanese Self-Defense Forces participated, saying, "The reckless military actions of the U.S. have created an abnormal atmosphere in the regional situation."
The Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the Workers' Party of Korea, said on the 16th that "the United States is conducting large-scale military exercises in the Asia-Pacific region together with the Japanese Self-Defense Forces," and
The newspaper pointed out, "What cannot be overlooked is that up until now, the government has been conducting regular inspections once every two years.
The United States, which has been pushing ahead with this exercise "exclusively," has now drawn in the Japanese Self-Defense Forces for the first time.
"The purpose of the United States' constant military exercise affairs in the Asia-Pacific region is to subjugate and restrain countries that challenge them and to seize military hegemony," it continued.
"This is jeopardizing the regional security environment and seriously undermining the foundations of world peace and security," he said. "We are concerned that this extremely dangerous military provocation could at any moment lead to a decisive physical conflict."
"No one can predict what will happen," he said, warning that "if it does materialize, the provocateurs will face irreversible, catastrophic consequences."