N. Korea slams U.S.-S. Korea’s joint military drills ahead of 71st anniversary of armistice signing

North Korea said Monday the United States and South Korea have never stopped their joint military drills against the North since the signing of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War, claiming that they are crossing a red line of a new nuclear war. The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, raised public awareness against the U.S. ahead of the 71st anniversary of the signing of the armistice on July 27, celebrated as Victory Day in North Korea. "The enemies' madness of aggression and war has never been stopped," the newspaper reported, insisting that Seoul and Washington have staged war drills against the North without pause since the signing of the armistice. "They are now crossing a red line of a new world nuclear warfare without hesitation," it said. North Korea has long denounced Seoul-Washington joint military exercises as a rehearsal for an invasion, though the allies said such drills are defensive in nature. Against this backdrop, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has strengthened the country's nuclear deterrence that can end this protracted war forever, the newspaper claimed. The Korean War, which started with an invasion by the North, ended with the Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953. Since 1996, North Korea has celebrated the armistice signing date as Victory Day, claiming that it won the war against the U.S. Last year, North Korea held a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary by inviting then Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chinese Communist Party politburo member Li Hongzhong. With their presence at the parade, the North apparently aimed to show its solidarity with Beijing and Moscow, which backed Pyongyang during the Cold War-era conflict, as Seoul, Washington and Tokyo were bolstering three-way security cooperation. Source: Yonhap News Agency