North Korea has criticized South Korea and the United States’ recent joint military exercises on the Korean Peninsula.

In a statement, the North Korean foreign ministry said, “The military and political situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region has reached an extreme red line due to the reckless military confrontational maneuvers and hostile acts of the US and its vassal forces. The DPRK will take the toughest reaction to any military attempt of the US on the principle of ‘nuke for nuke and an all-out confrontation for an all-out confrontation!” North Korea also said the United States and South Korea crossed an “extreme red line.”

Jeon Ha Gyu, a South Korea’s Defense Ministry spokesperson, said that the ministry had no immediate comment in response to the North Korean statement. However, he said that the allies’ latest aerial drills aimed to demonstrate the credibility of the US “extended deterrence” and its commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear ones, to defend South Korea.

This all comes as US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin recently visited South Korea and announced the United States’ plans to bolster its military presence in the Korean Peninsula. This includes deploying advanced military assets, such as fighter jets and aircraft carriers, as the US seeks to enhance its joint training and operational planning with South Korea.