North Korea Warns Washington Against Intercepting Its Test Missiles

North Korea warned that any move to intercept one of its test missiles would be considered a declaration of war, attributing the escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula to the joint military exercises conducted by the United States and South Korea, according to a statement from the official news agency on Tuesday. Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of leader Kim Jong-un, stated that Pyongyang would view any military action by the U.S. against its strategic weapon tests as a "declaration of war." She also hinted that North Korea could launch more missiles into the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. and its allies have never intercepted any North Korean ballistic missiles, which are banned by the United Nations Security Council. Kim remarked, "The Pacific Ocean is not subject to the sovereignty of the United States or Japan." Analysts believe that if North Korea continues to threaten to turn the Pacific Ocean into a "firing range," it would allow the isolated, nuclear-armed state to achieve technical advancements while reinforcing its military strength. In a separate statement, the head of the external news department at North Korea's foreign ministry accused the U.S. of "escalating" the situation by conducting joint air drills with a B-52 bomber on Monday and planning field exercises between the U.S. and South Korea. The U.S. deployed the B-52 for joint drills with South Korean fighter jets, which the South Korean defense ministry described as a show of force in response to North Korean nuclear and missile threats. The two countries are set to conduct extensive military exercises known as "Freedom Shield," starting next week and continuing for more than ten days. Approximately 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea following the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, which ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving the two countries technically still at war.