North Korea warns of new ‘deterrent’ ahead of US-South drills

SEOUL

This photo shows a drill between US and South Korean militaries in Yeou, South Korea in August 2025.

North Korea warned on Aug. 14 it could respond with “a new level of deterrent” to upcoming joint U.S.-South Korea drills simulating battle against Pyongyang’s troops battle-hardened from deployment in the Russia-Ukraine war.

The 11-day exercises due to begin on Aug. 17 are an annual fixture of the summer calendar, designed to prepare the United States and South Korea to defend against the nuclear-armed North.

Pyongyang regularly labels them rehearsals for an invasion and this week test-fired a ballistic missile over the Sea of Japan, signaling its opposition to the exercises.

But this year’s drills are tailored to prepare soldiers to fight North Koreans with modern combat experience from the Russia-Ukraine theatre, including drone, cyber-attack and GPS jamming capabilities.

“It is our consistent principle of ensuring security to respond to a new level of a threat with a new level of a deterrent,” a spokesman for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. published by Pyongyang’s Korean Central News Agency.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 it has become a key ally to the Kremlin, sending troops for its faltering war in return for economic benefits and military technology support, analysts say.

This week, Ukraine accused Moscow of launching North Korean ballistic missiles in a raid which killed at least nine people and wounded dozens.

Kiev has also recently said up to 50,000 North Korean troops are due for deployment in Russia, although it has provided no evidence to back the claim.