The DPRK embassy in Jakarta handed the letter to the ASEAN Secretariat on April 4.

Noting that the situation on the Korean Peninsula is evolving out of control due to the annual war games conducted by the U.S. and south Korea, the letter said:

They are conducting these exercises from March in accordance with the scheme of nuclear preemptive strike, mobilizing the unprecedented scale of nuclear strategic assets such as nuclear submarine, nuclear strategic bombers, not to mention the attack forces including a nuclear aircraft carrier. The purpose of these exercises is none other than to overthrow our system.

The present situation on the Korean Peninsula eloquently substantiates how right we were to possess nuclear weapons and to take the measures of strengthening the national defence.

As we have already clarified, we will continue to build up our self-defense capability, the pivot of which is the nuclear force, and the capability for pre-emptive strike as long as the U.S. and its vassal forces keep on nuclear threats and blackmail and as long as they do not stop their war games they stage at our doorstep disguising them as annual events.

The largest-ever nuclear war games, staged by the U.S. and south Korea are the root cause that pushes the DPRK to take toughest counter-measures and this is the unanimous assessment of the international community.

I express my expectation that ASEAN which attaches great importance to the regional peace and stability will make an issue of the U.S.-south Korea joint military exercises at ASEAN conferences from fair position and play an active role in safeguarding the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.