Pyongyang: Pyongyang has condemned the Ulchi Freedom Shield joint war game between the United States and South Korea as a move "disturbing the regional security environment."

According to Namibia Press Agency, the large-scale war drill against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) can never be "defensive" as it is being staged by the world's biggest nuclear weapons state and its "satellite states" on the Korean Peninsula. Kim Yong Bok, first vice-chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army (KPA), made this assertion in a statement published by the official Korean Central News Agency.

"The current joint military drill is the one for an actual war, which makes its provocative nature more clear, as it renewed the records of all the past rehearsals for an anti-DPRK war in its nature, scale and mode," stated the announcement. It was issued on Monday, highlighting the intensified nature of the drill.

The statement pointed out that the drill has transformed into a multinational exercise, with the number and period of field maneuvering hitting a record high, marking it as "the biggest, the longest and the worst war drill" in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.

The DPRK emphasized that it is monitoring the situation closely and is prepared to respond to any developments. This latest statement follows similar criticisms issued earlier this month by No Kwang Chol, the national defense minister of the DPRK, and a KPA General Staff spokesperson.