The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has denounced a major joint exercise planned by the Republic of Korea (ROK) and U.S. militaries as "direct military provocation" and warned of counteraction.

DPRK's Defense Minister No Kwang Chol said its military has an "absolute mission" to defend national security against the large-scale 11-day drills by the ROK and the U.S., which posed a real and dangerous threat.

"The armed forces of the DPRK will cope with the war drills of the U.S. and the (ROK) with thoroughgoing and resolute counteraction posture and strictly exercise the sovereign right," the minister said in a statement issued via the KCNA state news agency on Monday.

The ROK and the United States said last week the annual exercise would begin on August 18 to test command control and troop mobilization under an upgraded security strategy against a threat of nuclear warfare.

However, they said a major part of the field exercise would be postponed and conducted separately next month, citing weather conditions.

(Cover: File photo of vehicles lined up for a ROK-U.S. drill held in March, 2025. /VCG)