North Korea slammed the US and South Korea for inching the peninsula towards the “brink of war” with a series of war games. After Pyongyang issued the statement, North Korea test-fired several cruise missiles. 

In a fiery statement published in North Korean state media on Sunday, Pyongyang warned Washington and Seoul of “ruthless punishment” if war broke out. The statement highlighted five military drills between the US, South Korea, and Japan conducted this month. Pyongyang argued that war games involving strategic weapons systems were highly provocative. 

“The current situation, in which frantic nuclear war drills are being staged against the DPRK from the outset of the new year, requires the DPRK to be fully prepared for a war and thoroughly deter the US and its stooges’ invasion with overwhelming power,” The statement published in KCNA says. “We showed on various occasions that our cutting-edge military hardware are not for “demonstration,” and legalized the Korean-style nuclear doctrine on the use of nuclear forces long ago.”

North Korea also conducted its third major missile test of the year on Sunday. State media reported Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un expressed, “the prevailing situation and future threats urge the DPRK to put more spurs to the efforts for defending the maritime sovereignty.” 

North Korean media described the missile as a “submarine-launched strategic cruise missile” dubbed “Pulhwasal-3-31.” Earlier this month, Pyongyang tested an intercontinental ballistic missile and a previous cruise missile test. 

North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric and missile tests come as tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at a multi-year high. US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol have engaged in a military buildup in the region that has enraged Kim. 

Washington has developed several weapons systems capable of delivering a nuclear strike to the region. American and South Korean forces conducted war games simulating the decapitation of the North Korean state.

US officials and other North Korea watchers believe conflict could break out soon. However, other observers, such as John Feffer, have noted that in the past, aggressive behavior from Pyongyang generated discussions with Washington. While seemingly contradictory, missile tests and threats generate concern among the American public and put pressure on the White House to engage with Kim.