Leading media of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Tuesday condemned an ongoing joint drill of U.S. and South Korean forces, urging Washington to stop.
Ruling party newspaper Rodong Sinmun said in a commentary that both the March sinking of South Korea's Cheonan corvette and the recent artillery firing were orchestrated by the United States as both events happened when Washington and Seoul were conducting joint military exercises.
It is clear that Washington intended to manipulate these events, and this was proved by the fact that the United States and South Korea carried out a joint war game shortly after last week's exchange of artillery fire, the newspaper said.
The so-called "threat of DPRK military" is misleading, aimed at rationalizing Washington's military provocation and looking for an excuse to ignite a war, the article said, urging the United States to drop its wrong military judgment and stop its warmongering.
The Minju Joson, another leading daily, accused U.S. and South Korean forces of attempting "a war of aggression against the DPRK," stressing that the DPRK was ready to deal with any aggression of the United States and South Korea.
Other local media also published a number of articles deploring the Nov. 28-Dec. 1 joint drill and expressing the public's resolution to guard their homeland.
The DPRK routinely denounces and warns against any U.S.-South Korean joint drill. On Monday, Pyongyang called the latest one "a new provocation."
Despite the tension, Pyongyang remains calm, and the daily life of its citizens is unaffected.
Ever since the Cheonan was sunk, killing 46 South Korean sailors, the situation on the Korean Peninsula has been tense. The recent artillery exchange, which left four people dead, fueled the tension.