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North Korea Labels South Korea a 'Puppet' Over Seoul's Lead Role at RIMPAC

Pyongyang's public denunciation signals rising rhetoric that could prompt reciprocal military signalling on the Korean Peninsula.

U.S. Army soldiers take part in a U.S.-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise, which is a part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military training, near the demilitarized zone separating South and North Korea, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, March 14, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon/File Photo
This Reuters photo shows flight deck crew working on F-18 fighter jets onboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier participating in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercises in waters south of the Hawaiian Islands on July 13, 2026. (Yonhap)
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Overview

  • On Friday, North Korea's state media KCNA called South Korea a "puppet" and warned Seoul and Washington they would bear responsibility for any "unpredictable escalation" linked to the U.S.-led RIMPAC exercise.
  • For the first time, South Korea served as the Combined Forces Maritime Component Commander at RIMPAC, with Rear Adm. Kim In-ho overseeing multinational maritime forces from a command role in the Hawaii drills.
  • RIMPAC, which began June 24 and runs through July 31, involves roughly 30 countries, more than 30 ships, several submarines, hundreds of aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel, underscoring the exercise's scale and strategic signalling.
  • KCNA described the drills as a "blatant war rehearsal," singled out U.S.-South Korea marine exercises aboard the USS Essex and the deployment of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and warned of a "chain of proportional countermeasures."
  • Pyongyang has also publicised recent missile launches and weapons tests observed by Kim Jong Un aboard the new destroyer Kang Kon, a move that raises the risk of further military displays and heightened tensions for people on the peninsula.