The Democratic People's Republic of Korea issued a warning to South Korea on Friday, threatening a harsh response if Seoul holds its joint military drills with Washington in the coming weeks.

South Korea and the United States will pay a "horrible" price, said a commentary on the Korean Central Agency (KCNA), emphasizing that “The enemy states will have to pay dearly for their foolish and reckless war drills, which will lead to a self-defensive, fair, and square, threatening, toughest response from North Korea."

The DPRK statement comes a day after the South Korean and US militaries announced the joint military drill Freedom Shield, which will kick off on March 10 for 11 days, and includes computer-simulated drills and on-field training.

“The Freedom Shield has repeatedly undergone its worst modifications, fully equipped with all malicious signs. This will soon bring a storm of aggravating the security situation to the Korean Peninsula,” KCNA noted, adding that the military exercise is an infringement on the DPRK's sovereign rights and interests and risks regional instability.

KCNA went on to criticize the planned escalation of military drills between South Korea and the United States from 10 in 2024 to 16 in 2025, stressing that Pyongyang's enemies' "war frenzy" is moving toward a dangerous level.

The DPRK emphasized that it will be left with no choice but to "renew" its "strategic deterrence" if the United States continues its "military muscle-flexing", considering the counteraction inevitable.

Tensions between South and North Korea

Tensions between Pyongyang and Seoul have been intensifying as South Korea continues to bolster its military alliance with Washington, ignoring the DPRK's warnings.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea condemned on February 11 the arrival of a United States submarine in South Korea on February 10, warning that it would use "any defensive means" to protect itself, in a statement by the Defence Ministry in Pyongyang.

"We express grave concern over the dangerous hostile military actions of the United States that could push the acute military standoff on the Korean Peninsula into an actual armed conflict," the statement noted, calling for Washington to cease its "provocative acts that lead to further instability."

The announcement closely followed the arrival of the USS Alexandria, a Los Angeles-class attack submarine in Busan, South Korea, for resupply and crew rest, in the first visit of its kind to the Korean peninsula.

On February 2, the DPRK stated that the United States' latest sale proposal to South Korea will not save it from "strategic deficiency", emphasizing that the US is trying to "destroy the balance of power in the region and solidify its hegemonic status" through its military sale to South Korea.