In Response to "Freedom Shield 23": North Korea Recruits Youth

North Korea's official newspaper reported today, Saturday, that hundreds of thousands of citizens in the country have volunteered to join its army or re-enlist to fight against the United States. The Rodong Sinmun newspaper stated that approximately 800,000 students and workers expressed their desire to enlist or rejoin the military to confront the U.S. This comes after North Korea launched its Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile two days ago in response to ongoing military exercises between the United States and South Korea. South Korean and American forces began an 11-day joint exercise, named "Freedom Shield 23," which is being conducted on a scale not seen since 2017 to address the increasing threats from North Korea. The North Korean leader accused the United States and South Korea of escalating tensions with these military exercises.