DPRK criticizes S. Korea-U.S. joint drills for negative impact on regional situation

SEOUL, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Defense Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Saturday voiced grave concern over the escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

As a new round of South Korea-U.S. joint maritime drills is underway near the peninsula, involving the redeployed nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and South Korean warships, a spokesperson for the DPRK Defense Ministry called it "an event of considerably huge negative splash to the regional situation," as quoted by the KCNA.

The spokesperson denounced the drills as "military bluffing," saying the DPRK armed forces are taking a serious approach in the face of "the extremely worrisome development of the present situation."

South Korea and the United States on Sept. 26 launched their joint maritime drills near the Korean Peninsula, involving the nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier along with over 20 warships from the two sides.

After the USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike group was redeployed to the peninsula on Wednesday to hold an exercise on Thursday with South Korean and Japanese navies, the United States and South Korea began another joint naval exercise east of the peninsula on Friday.