Pyongyang: North Korea on Saturday lambasted recent U.S. military drills with South Korean and Japanese forces, accusing them of being preparations for "preemptive strikes" against it.

According to Yonhap News Agency, The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, made the accusation in an article, taking issue with U.S.-led air drills that began last month near Japan and recent air logistics drills between South Korean and U.S. Marines. The article stated that these exercises are aimed at conducting pre-emptive strikes against North Korea. It called for the cessation of indiscriminate military actions by the United States, Japan, and South Korea to ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the region.

The article also criticized ongoing trilateral military cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan, accusing them of intending to "crush" North Korea through collective military force. It argued that it is only fair for North Korea to bolster its defense capabilities in response to such activities.

South Korea has recently focused on strengthening three-way security cooperation with the United States and Japan amid evolving nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.