DPRK FM denounces U.S.-South Korean military exercises

The Foreign Minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday warned the joint annual military exercises being staged by the United States and South Korea were "provocative" in nature and could possibly "spark off a war".

Ri Su Yong, Minister of Foreign Affairs of DPRK, said here at the United Nations-backed Conference on Disarmament that "the U.S. has intensified nuclear threats against the DPRK rather than diminishing them", according to a video clip of Ri's speech and the English interpretation provided by the United Nations(UN) TV, which provided media outlets in Geneva with selected live programming of UN events.

"The nuclear threat (of the U.S.) towards the DPRK is, by no means, potential or abstract but rather a practical and physical matter," he added.

As for the U.S.-South Korean military exercises that kicked off on Monday, the top diplomat of DPRK warned it being "unprecedentedly provocative in nature and have an especially high possibility of sparking off a war".

"In case a war breaks out on the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. and its subordinate South Korea will be entirely responsible for all consequences," Ri said.

He stressed that "the hostile policy of the U.S. towards the DPRK for over half a century, not just a couple of years, compelled the DPRK to pursue nuclear possession".

"The DPRK cannot but bolster its nuclear deterrent capability to cope with the ever-increasing nuclear threat of the U.S.. Now the DPRK has the power of deterring the U.S. and conducting a pre-emptive strike as well if necessary," Ri concluded.

The DPRK fired two short-range missiles into its eastern waters Monday when South Korea and the United States kicked off their joint annual war games "Key Resolve" and "Foal Eagle."

On the same day, an unnamed spokesman for the DPRK General Staff of the Korean People's Army issued a statement, warning of "toughest measures" to retaliate against the military exercises.

The retaliatory measures will include "all the ground, sea, underwater, air and cyber striking means" and the country's armed forces "are fully ready" to strike their designated targets, according to the statement.

South Korea and the United States claim the drills are routine ones of defensive nature to ensure defense readiness of the combined forces.

But the DPRK said they are simply "crafty sophism to conceal their reckless preemptive nuclear attack on the DPRK." Enditem