North Korea’s Warning Before Drills | Dover News

North Korea is escalating tensions by calling U.S.-South Korea military drills a “rehearsal for war” and threatening its own “deterrent” response, following two recent missile launches likely aimed at provoking the West. While Washington and Seoul insist the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises are purely defensive and unchanged in scope, Pyongyang claims they’re more dangerous than ever — using the drills as cover to advance its nuclear program and keep domestic support high. Analysts say Kim Jong Un is leveraging this pressure to push for sanctions relief and deepen alliances with Russia and China, especially since his 2019 Trump summit fizzled. As the drills loom, expect more provocations — North Korea’s playbook is clear: test, threaten, and negotiate from strength. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/7c8d9cf66bce6676