North Korea has denounced the joint military exercises between South Korea and the US, which commenced on Monday, as a provocative and dangerous move. They have expressed concerns about the possibility of an inadvertent shooting incident triggering a physical confrontation between the parties.

The annual Freedom Shield drills, set to continue until March 20, have put a hold on live-fire practices following an incident where South Korean jets mistakenly released bombs on a civilian area close to the border just last week.

That misfire wounded at least 29 people.

North Korea has traditionally called for US-South Korea joint exercises to be called off, branding them as a prelude to invasion.

The South Korean military has said the joint drills aim to strengthen the readiness of the alliance for threats such as North Korea.

The North Korean foreign ministry, as reported by state media KCNA, stated that the exercises are heightening tensions on the Korean peninsula and could potentially escalate into a serious conflict through an accidental event like a single shot being fired.

The drills will harm US security, the ministry added.

Lee Young-su, chief of South Korea’s Air Force, bowed in apology on Monday over the “unprecedented” accident last week where two jets mistakenly bombed the village.

“It was an accident that should never have happened and it should never happen again,” Lee told reporters.

A pilot in one jet was pressed for time and didn’t double-check the target coordinates, while another pilot in the other jet followed and dropped bombs without noticing the incorrect coordinates, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing the interim results of the military’s investigation.

The defence ministry was not immediately available for comment.

The area impacted by the accidental bombing in Pocheon, which is about 25 miles northeast of Seoul, was outside of a training area close to the border with North Korea.

Residents in the area have long complained about the disturbance and risks coming from the exercises.