A senior North Korean military official warned the U.S. of “insurmountable threats” after it called for an open U.N. Security Council (UNSC) meeting on the DPRK’s missile development, claiming Pyongyang’s pursuit of “new-type strategic weapons” is purely for self-defense.

In a statement released through the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) late Monday, Ri Pyong Chol framed North Korea’s weapons development as a necessary response to U.S.-ROK joint exercises “simulating a preemptive nuclear strike and all-out war against the DPRK.”