Comment by the Information and Press Department regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula

The developments in and around the Korean Peninsula are a matter of increasing concern.

On March 7, South Korea and the US launched joint military exercises. Although previously planned, they are unprecedented in scale, quantity and types of weapons engaged and in the variety of drills. Being directly identified as the target of this military activity, the DPRK has every reason to be concerned about its security. Russia has voiced on numerous occasions its resentment towards this approach to political and military pressure on Pyongyang.

That said, North Korea’s response to these developments is less than legitimate. Specifically, Russia views the public statements threatening “preventive nuclear strikes” of some sort against its opponents to be absolutely unacceptable. Pyongyang should understand that by making such statements it sets itself against the international community, and provides grounds under international law to use military force against it as per the right of states to self-defence that is part of the UN Charter.

Russia calls on all parties to be reasonable and show restraint in order to prevent the situation from deteriorating to the point that the conflict on the Korean Peninsula could spiral out of control.

March 7, 2016