North Korea has described the annual "Freedom Shield" military exercises conducted by South Korea and the U.S. as aggressive and provocative, stating that it will continue to increase its strike power to ensure its security.

Axar.az reports that this was announced in a statement from the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It was noted that this year’s drills for the first time included ground, sea, air, space, and cyberspace operations.

The statement emphasized that military clashes on the Korean Peninsula would not be confined to just North Korea and the U.S. and could lead to a new world war.

North Korea further stated that it would intensify its countermeasures against hostile nations' military actions and maintain peace in the region and the world as a responsible nuclear state.