The U.S. imperialist aggression forces present in south Korea, in league with the south Korean puppet army, staged largest joint live-fire drill in the area south of the Demilitarized Zone, kicking up the reckless racket of firing at the dignified DPRK flag, the statement said, and went on:

This is a vivid expression of their hostile policy toward the DPRK and an unpardonable politically-motivated provocation against the sovereign state. It is also a reckless act of escalating confrontation and danger of war on the Korean Peninsula, the most acute hotspot in the world.

The U.S. imperialists and the south Korean puppet clique should admit the gravity of the situation and apologize to the DPRK. We bitterly denounce their provocative act and positively support the statement of a spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry which declared it would bolster up nuclear deterrent for self-defense.

The Ecuadorian people extend warm and fraternal greetings and solidarity to the Korean people in their struggle to reunify the country independently and peacefully.