North Korea condemned the joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, which aim to integrate South Korea’s conventional military capabilities with the United States’ nuclear weapons potential. It accused the drills of rehearsing for a nuclear war aimed at attacking North Korea and affirmed it will accelerate the development of its nuclear capabilities to counter current and future threats, describing this as an unchangeable defense policy.
North Korea issued a statement condemning the joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, which combine South Korea’s conventional military capabilities with US nuclear weapons potential. It declared it will continuously strengthen its nuclear capabilities, describing this as an unalterable national defense policy.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea’s official media, reported a statement from Kim Jong-sik, First Deputy Director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. He accused the drills, named "Iron Mace," of being a rehearsal for the worst nuclear war, aimed at using nuclear weapons to attack North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Kim stated that these drills further justify North Korea’s relentless efforts to strengthen its nuclear forces to effectively counter nuclear threats.
The Iron Mace exercises were held over four days from 29 September to 2 October at the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Command in Seoul. Their purpose was to integrate US nuclear capabilities with South Korea’s conventional forces to deter threats from North Korea.
Kim also condemned other US and allied military exercises in the region, including South Korea’s Hokguk field drills, the large-scale Freedom Flag air exercises between South Korea and the US, and the Keen Sword drills between the US and Japan, held from 19 to 29 October.
Furthermore, he accused the US of escalating military displays and expanding operational capabilities across the region, citing the deployment of US Marines to multi-dimensional patrol exercises in South Korea and the sending of fighter jets from US bases to participate in military drills in Japan.
Kim said these activities demonstrate that North Korea’s adversaries are intensifying both public and covert military actions, which necessitate North Korea strengthening its nuclear capabilities to deter opponents. He emphasized, "Reality has once again taught us that strength is peace, and peace is guaranteed only by strength."
Kim added that North Korea will ensure its nuclear deterrent capability responsibly protects its sovereignty, security, and regional peace. He reaffirmed that accelerating the enhancement of this capability to address existing and potential threats is an unchangeable national defense policy.
The Iron Mace exercises have been held annually since 2024 as part of efforts following the joint framework set by the South Korea-US Nuclear Consultative Group, a cooperative mechanism established to bolster extended deterrence against North Korea’s nuclear threat.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s government did not publicly announce these exercises in advance, likely to avoid provoking North Korean backlash.
Notably, this statement was issued through Kim Jong-sik, a senior official overseeing North Korea’s weapons manufacturing industry, rather than Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un and director of the Workers’ Party’s General Affairs Department, or the foreign affairs and defense ministries, which have typically condemned South Korean and US military activities.
Im Eul-chol, a professor at the Kyungnam University Institute of Far Eastern Studies in South Korea, said Kim Jong-sik’s role as the messenger is particularly significant because he oversees North Korea’s weapons development programs.
Im noted that Kim Jong-sik is a key figure in North Korea’s defense science and technology sector and supervises the operations of the Workers’ Party’s munitions industry, including the Missile Administration Department.
He assessed that the statement reflects Pyongyang’s serious commitment to rapidly operationalize tactical nuclear weapons and asymmetric military capabilities to counter the joint South Korea-US drills integrating conventional forces with nuclear potential.
Selecting a senior weapons development official as spokesperson may indicate North Korea’s focus on achieving tangible progress in nuclear and missile capabilities rather than merely responding with diplomatic statements.
However, South Korea’s Ministry of Unification downplayed the statement’s significance, viewing it as simply reaffirming North Korea’s longstanding position.
Yoon Min-ho, a spokesperson for South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, said in a Monday briefing that essentially, North Korea reiterated its usual stance condemning US-led joint exercises as hostile acts against it, using this justification to support its own nuclear deterrent enhancement.