Pyongyang's Provocation Playbook North Korea's newly appointed defense minister, Kim Song gi, has again invoked outrage and counter threats against joint military exercises by the US, Japan, and South Korea.
This time, it's the "Freedom Edge" drills that have drawn his ire. The annual exercises aim to demonstrate interoperability and cooperation between the three countries, but Pyongyang views them as a provocation.
Given North Korea's own significant military buildup, this perception strains credulity. These exercises have been an annual occurrence for years, with little more than token responses from Pyongyang.