NORTH KOREAN DEFENCE MINISTER CRITICIZES JOINT MILITARY DRILLS BY US, JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA

North Korea's newly appointed defence minister, ​Kim Song-gi, has called ​joint military drills by South Korea, ⁠Japan and the United ​States a provocation, state media KCNA ​reported on Monday. Kim also vowed to take "strong and reflective countermeasures" if the U.S. ​and its allies sought ​a new military confrontation in a statement ‌carried ⁠by KCNA.

South Korea, the United States and Japan began their annual "Freedom Edge" exercise on Monday in international ​waters southeast ​and ⁠south of Jeju Island, South Korea's Joint Chiefs ​of Staff said. The trilateral ​exercise ⁠comes after U.S. President Donald Trump scaled back a major joint exercise ⁠with ​South Korea last ​month.

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