North Korea says U.S. drills threaten to turn region into 'critical war zone'

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Air Force F-22 fighter jets take part in a joint drill with South Korea's Air Force at Kunsan air base, in Gunsan, South Korea, December 20, 2022. The Defence Ministry/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that drills by the United States and its allies have pushed the situation to an "extreme red-line" and threaten to turn the peninsula into a "huge war arsenal and a more critical war zone."

The statement, carried by state news agency KCNA, said Pyongyang was not interested in dialogue as long as Washington pursues hostile policies.