By Ri Hak NamRodong SinmunThe situation on the Korean peninsula where an atmosphere of peace and reconciliation had prevailed is getting tense again owing to the frantic U.S.-south Korea joint military exercises.The U.S. and south Korea said that there was no movement of actual armed forces and equipment in the drill and it was for verification in a bid to justify the military drill and cover up its aggressive character. However, such sophism can never work on.The recent joint military drill was the very dangerous one for war, test-war against the north, as it was run through with overpowering of the DPRK by prompt introduction of large-scale reinforcements and surprise strike.The U.S.-south Korea joint military drill is a grave military provocation against the DPRK and challenge to and mockery of our efforts for peace. It is the open disregard and wanton violation of the June 12 DPRK-U.S. joint statement in which both sides agreed to establish new DPRK-U.S. relations and permanent and durable peace mechanism on the Korean peninsula.It is an axiom that if the tensions rise, the relations cannot improve and constructive dialogue and true peace cannot be expected amid the worsening confrontation.Now the U.S. provokes the DPRK by conducting joint military exercises. That is why we cannot but develop and test powerful physical means necessary for national defence and deploy them to cope with the U.S. provocation.Our measures for bolstering up military capability for self-defence are very just ones and no one is allowed to blame the DPRK for them.(KCNA - August 21, 2019)