North Korea Accuses America of Creating 'Asian NATO'

The North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the military exercises between Japan, the United States, and South Korea have formed a military alliance in Asia akin to NATO, rather than efforts to stabilize the security situation in the region. The North Korean foreign ministry declared in a statement that "these were the first large-scale joint exercises conducted under a special designation, and the 'seriousness' of these exercises lies in their manifestation as a form of organizing and arranging a military bloc that includes the United States, Japan, and South Korea." It added that "following the trilateral summit involving the United States, Japan, and South Korea last August, these countries agreed to cooperate immediately and respond jointly in the event of a threat against any of them, which reminds us of the collective defense principle of NATO." The statement noted that this all indicates that the relationship among the United States, Japan, and South Korea has taken the form of an Asian version of NATO.