North Korea has denounced what it calls increased surveillance of North Korea by US allies, including Australia and New Zealand, under the guise of monitoring UN sanctions violations.
Pyongyang said it will take necessary steps to protect its sovereignty and security, according to state media KCNA.
North Korea called out the UK, Canada, Germany, France, New Zealand and Australia to immediately stop their "blatant military intervention in the Asia-Pacific" by using UN sanctions as an excuse, in a statement by its foreign ministry via KCNA.
"Western countries should ponder over the fact that their unreasonable and blind policy of following the US is an act of harming their own interests," KCNA said.
South Korea and the UK carried out joint maritime patrols in waters near the Korean Peninsula in April to enforce UN Security Council sanctions resolutions against North Korea, South Korea's defence ministry said.
Earlier this month, an Australian helicopter surveying North Korea was intercepted by a Chinese warplane in international airspace, while a Canadian plane was intercepted in similar circumstances in October.
Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited arms factories on Saturday and Sunday, personally inspecting weapons such as sniper rifles and rocket launchers, KCNA reported on Monday.
Kim, accompanied by high-ranking officials including his powerful sister Kim Yo Jong, praised the quality of the weapons and called for the factories to implement production plans without fail, KCNA said.
Tensions on the Korea peninsula are high. Since the beginning of 2022, North Korea has significantly increased the scope of its weapons tests, including the testing of nuclear-capable missiles and stepping up its rhetoric against the US and South Korea.
with DPA
