TOKYO: North Korea responded to recent military exercises by the United States and its allies in the region by claiming new advances in military capabilities and accusing the military exercises as “reckless.”

The North accused the US and South Korea of “military provocations” and of planning an attack and the removal of its leaders.

“From March 13, a large-scale US-South Korea joint military exercise, ‘Freedom Shield,’ mobilizing tens of thousands of troops, was conducted, in which the North’s leadership was removed according to Operation Plan 5015,” and a nuclear preemptive attack on 700 core facilities, including nuclear and missile bases, exercises simulating the occupation of Pyongyang, and the US-South Korean Navy and Marine Corps division-level joint landing exercise SsangYong,” the North reported, adding, “It is a reckless nuclear war exercise that can be called insanity against a nuclear power.”

Pyongyang detailed its response with claims of its own military capabilities, including a new secret weapon:

“The North Korean side responded with pre-emptive strike training using a variety of new strategic and tactical nuclear weapons. Submarine-launched cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles from underground silos, strategic cruise missiles ‘Fasal (Arrow)’ from mobile launchers, and unmanned underwater core attack craft ‘Hail (Tsunami)’, the secret weapon that was unveiled for the first time.”

“The state-of-the-art weapon, as declared by Kim Jong-un, ‘provides despair to the choices of US imperialism and its minions, and poses a greater threat than it gains by strengthening military alliances and expanding war exercises.’ Far from ‘extended deterrence,’ the useless and reckless joint military exercises will continue to encourage the qualitative strengthening, development and diversification of North Korea’s nuclear forces. The only way to stop this extremely dangerous negative spiral is to stop the joint military exercises led by the United States. If the US side stops it, the North Korean side will also stop it.”