North Korea denounces US-Japan joint military drill

North Korea on Monday denounced a joint military exercise between the US and Japan, accusing Tokyo of using the "confusing" global situation to "justify its transformation into a war nation," Pyongyang's state media reported.

The North criticized Japan for participating in the Resolute Dragon exercise, accusing it of sharpening its "invasion capability," in an editorial carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Japan, it said, has aggravated the security situation in the region by deepening its military ties with the US.

"Pyongyang further claimed that long-range missiles were test-fired in a ‘preemptive’ capacity intended to strike neighboring nations during Japan's first participation in a US-led multinational exercise in the Asia-Pacific region in April and May.

It warned Tokyo about a "tragic end" should it persist in "reckless" military behavior.

The Resolute Dragon exercise, involving Japan's Ground Self-Defense Forces and the US Marine Corps, which began June 20 in Okinawa and Kyushu, major islands in southwestern Japan, is scheduled to end Tuesday.