North Korea condemns RIMPAC naval exercise as 'war rehearsal'

North Korea condemned the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, a U.S.-led multinational naval drill held in Hawaii from late June through July that involved over 30,000 personnel from 30 countries, as a "war rehearsal" designed to establish American military dominance in Asia-Pacific. A military commentator carried by state-run Korean Central News Agency criticized expanded command roles for South Korea and Japan in the exercise, claiming it reflected Washington's strategy to encircle Pyongyang. North Korea warned it would respond with "a deterrence of new level" to what it characterized as a growing security threat from the U.S., Japan, and South Korea.