North Korea warns of stronger action over South's drills with U.S., Japan

North Korea condemned on Friday joint military drills between South Korea, Japan and the United States held this week, threatening to respond by exercising its right to self-defense "more intensively".

The trilateral exercise was held after Pyongyang launched in recent weeks what it claimed was a new hypersonic missile system and short-range ballistic missiles, ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's return to office on Monday.

Pyongyang's remarks came after the allies staged joint air drills, involving two US B-1B heavy bombers over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday.

North Korea's foreign ministry expressed "serious concern over the provocations" by South Korea, Japan and the United States, Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Friday.

The joint drills "clarifies once again" the North's need to exercise its sovereign rights and security interests "more intensively", it added.

North Korea "will strongly deter any military provocation planned by the hostile forces and firmly defend the security interests of the state", the ministry added, according to KCNA.

Such joint military exercises regularly infuriate the nuclear-armed North, which decries them as rehearsals for invasion.

Experts said the recent launches by the North, which attacked its neighbor in 1950, triggering the Korean War, could be a message to Trump's incoming administration.

Trump's nominee to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, recently labelled North Korea as a "nuclear power" in a statement submitted to a Senate panel, according to reports.

Responding to Hegseth's alleged comments, South Korea's defence ministry said Thursday that Pyongyang's status as a nuclear power "cannot be recognized" and that it will work with the United States to denuclearize the North.

Relations between the two Koreas have been at one of their lowest points in years, with the North launching a flurry of ballistic missiles last year in violation of UN sanctions.

U.S. and South Korean intelligence also have said that North Korea started in October to send thousands of troops to fight against Ukraine and has since suffered hundreds of casualties.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting South Korea last week when the North launched the alleged hypersonic missile.

He said there was evidence Russia was stepping up support for North Korea as a reward for its help fighting Ukraine, including help on advanced space and satellite technology.

© Agence France-Presse