On the 7th N. Korea's defense minister warned that if the US and its allies
attempt a new military confrontation, N. Korea will take strong countermeasures.
He said the US, Japan and South Korea are again conducting what he called
provocative "Freedom's Blade" drills, and that the US is seeking to rope in
Japan and Australia for an unusually large "Eastern Shield" exercise from Sept.
8-24. He added the US–Japan–South Korea security triangle is increasingly an
offensive entity and that continued US-led war rehearsals are pushing regional
instability toward the limit; N. Korea will respond with firmer, more resolute
action if necessary.
