Pyongyang: North Korea on Friday slammed the US and South Korean joint air drills over the Korean peninsula. 'North Korea will resolutely deter any attempt at military provocation by the hostile forces and firmly defend the security interests of the state,' said a Foreign Ministry statement. Pyongyang accused the US and its 'satellites' of provoking North Korea and destabilizing the security environment in the region.

According to Anadolu Agency, the provocations cited by North Korea include US Air Force planes flying over the Korean peninsula on January 3 and 9, a nuclear consultative group meeting in Washington between the US and South Korea, and joint air drills conducted by South Korea, the US, and Japan on Wednesday. These events have escalated tensions, prompting North Korea to launch a second missile this year, following the testing of an intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile on January 6, which it claims was to "counter security threats."

North Korea stated that these developments 'foretell the apprehensive direction of the development of the military-political situation on the Korean peninsula in the new year.' Meanwhile, South Korea expressed on Thursday its openness to talks with North Korea, signaling a potential diplomatic path amidst rising tensions.