DPRK blames U.S. for escalating tensions on Korean Peninsula

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Thursday blamed the United States for escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, citing the U.S. nuclear threat, U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises and sanctions against Pyongyang as examples.

An unnamed spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry attributed the current tense situation to the United States in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.

"The U.S. nuclear threat and blackmail, joint military exercises, sanctions and other moves to stifle the DPRK are the root cause of pushing the situation on the peninsula to the brink of a clash of nuclear weapons," the statement said.

The statement condemned the United States for making the DPRK a target for "preemptive nuclear attack," adding that the threat from the United States has existed for the past several decades.

On March 7, the United States and South Korea kicked off their joint annual war games "Key Resolve" and "Foal Eagle," which Pyongyang said were rehearsals for northward invasion.

The "Key Resolve" command post exercise ended earlier this month, but the "Foal Eagle" field training exercise is scheduled to last until April 30.

The DPRK on Tuesday fired a short-range projectile in an apparent show of force toward the ongoing U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises and sanctions against Pyongyang over its nuclear test and long-range rocket launch.

Including the Tuesday launch, the DPRK has fired a total of 16 short- and medium-range projectiles in 2016. Endi