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North Korea sharply criticized South Korea on Friday, labeling Seoul a "puppet" after its participation in the U.S.-led Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), warning that Washington and Seoul would be responsible for any "unpredictable escalation" in the Indo-Pacific region.
The remarks, published by North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), followed last week's RIMPAC drills in Hawaii, where the South Korean Navy led multinational maritime forces for the first time. RIMPAC, held every two years, is the world’s largest international naval exercise and included military personnel from about 30 countries, including the United States, Japan, Canada, and Australia.
KCNA claimed that South Korean forces had become a key part of expanding U.S.-led military cooperation, accusing Seoul of strengthening defense ties with Japan and NATO. The report argued that these partnerships increase regional tensions rather than promote stability.
The latest statement also marks North Korea’s first use of the term "puppet" to describe South Korea in roughly 15 months. Pyongyang last used the phrase following an April 2025 incident in which fuel tanks and gun pods detached from a South Korean Air Force aircraft during a training mission, falling into a mountainous area in Gangwon Province.
According to KCNA, RIMPAC is not a routine multinational military exercise but a demonstration of force aimed at countries across the Indo-Pacific. The agency warned that continued joint military activities by the United States and its allies could create dangerous conditions on the Korean Peninsula and increase the risk of unintended conflict.
North Korea also criticized a separate U.S.-South Korea Marine Corps exercise involving the USS Essex, claiming it simulated deep-penetration operations into enemy territory.
The renewed criticism comes as Pyongyang continues to showcase its own naval modernization efforts. Earlier this month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of a strategic cruise missile and observed weapons tests aboard the country's new 5,000-ton destroyer, Kang Kon, highlighting its growing military capabilities.
