PYONGYANG • North Korea yesterday slammed the South Korean military for joining two military drills with the United States, which it said ran against the spirit of the Panmunjom Declaration.

The official Minju Joson daily said in an article that the South Korean military has dispatched three warships, fighter jets and 700-odd troops to the Rim of the Pacific (Rimpac) joint military exercises off Hawaii from June 27.

Seoul also announced that it would launch the annual Ulji Freedom Guardian as scheduled in August, said the article.

"As (is) known, Rimpac is a DPRK-targeted war drill which has been staged biennially since 1971," it said, using the official name of North Korea, adding that seeking military confrontation is "against the unanimous demand of all Koreans and the trend of the times".

XINHUA