North Korea's Kim Yo-jong strongly condemns Japan-US-South Korea military drills... emphasizes legitimacy of strengthening nuclear deterrence

Kim Yo Jong, vice director of the Workers' Party of North Korea and the younger sister of North Korean Chairman of the State Affairs Commission Kim Jung Eun, strongly criticized the joint aerial drills conducted by Japan, the United States and South Korea, and asserted the legitimacy of North Korea's strengthening of its nuclear capabilities.
On the 4th, Deputy Director Kim issued a statement criticizing the move, saying, "Japan, the United States and South Korea conducted joint aerial drills aimed at the Republic right at our country's doorstep."
The training was planned on the 3rd, with US strategic bombers B-1B escorted by Japanese, US and South Korean fighter jets.
The exercise was conducted in a manner that involved moving to a training airspace in a different area and striking a virtual target quickly and accurately.
"This is in response to and will demonstrate our strong will to respond through Japan-US-ROK security cooperation, along with the integrated expanded deterrence capability of the U.S.-ROK alliance to respond to and deter increasingly sophisticated North Korean nuclear and missile threats," he said.
In response, Kim said, "It is clear that this drill is the most hostile and dangerous aggressive action against North Korea," and expressed his intention to demonstrate military pressure from Japan, the United States and South Korea.
He stressed the need for North Korea to strengthen its nuclear capabilities, and warned that "the current rising military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and in the surrounding area are creating a dangerous situation that could lead to war."
Kim also pointed out that the US military has been making frequent moves on the Korean Peninsula. She said that the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Siad Roosevelt has been deployed to the Korean peninsula three times this year alone.
Kim said that these developments are a sign of North Korea's determination to "make progress in the fight against the US-Korea Strategic Strategy for the Future."
He added that this demonstrates the need to strengthen our defensive nuclear deterrent.