North Korea criticizes South Korea for its participation in a US-led maritime exercise, calling Seoul a “puppet” for aligning with Washington. According to North Korean state media, the exercise is presented as a war demonstration by the United States and its allies, aimed at countries in the Indo-Pacific region. The reports frame North Korea’s response as part of broader criticism of joint military activities involving the US and regional partners. While the sources agree on the central message—North Korea’s condemnation of South Korea’s role and its characterization of the exercise—details such as the specific location, participating units, and the dates of the drill are not provided in the supplied summaries. The coverage focuses on North Korea’s official rhetoric and its interpretation of the exercise as threatening. Overall, the articles describe a dispute in which North Korea denounces the exercise and attributes South Korea’s involvement to perceived subordination to US policy.