North Korea accuses US of 'International Arms Control Collapse' ahead of drills with Seoul

In a scathing attack on the United States for causing instability on the Korean Peninsula by cosying up to South Korea, DPRK said that the US is responsible for the "collapse of international arms control systems," according to KCNA. North Korea's remark was made in context to a recent announcement by Washington that its military will conduct a large-scale exercise between March 13 and 23 with Seoul troops. DPRK lambasted the US and its allies for its alleged "hostile" behaviour in trying to change the geopolitical dynamics in the region by carrying out provocations. 

"The Korean peninsula is turning into the world's biggest powder keg and war practice field due to a military expansion scheme led by the United States and its followers," the ministry said, according to Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). 

US- South Korea's biggest joint field exercises in five years

Tensions ratcheted between the two Koreas as the US resumed the land, naval, and aerial military exercises with South Korean and Japanese forces in a defiant act against North's series of ballistic missile launches. The US-South Korea exercises, dubbed Freedom Shield exercise, a computer-simulated command post training, are aimed at boosting readiness in the scenario of North Korea's invasion.

As the two allies prepare to hold their biggest joint field exercises in five years, US Air Force also scrambled a long-range B-1B bomber to the Korean Peninsula in a show of force last week. In an angst-laden tone, North Korea warned the Biden administration of “unprecedently” strong retaliation if the US did not cease such military alliances. US Army's spokesperson, Col. Isaac L. Taylor,  said the field training between the troops of the two nations will include a combined amphibious drill, and that the size would be of a scale that will be like the Foal Eagle exercises held in 2018.

Last month, US-South Korea drills demonstrated an "iron-clad" US security commitment to its Korean ally in what was touted as the combined defence posture. The US also deployed the strategic US B-1B bombers last month, capable of carrying a huge payload of conventional weapons.