DPRK condemns US-ROK military drill

Watch Video

Play Video

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea has ordered "special alerts" throughout the country, in response to a U.S.-South Korea joint military drill which starts on Monday.

A DPRK military statement has condemned the 11-day drill, saying it aims to escalate sanctions and pressure on the country.But the US and South Korea say the maneuvers are purely defensive.

Korea Central Television says the DPRK will react with "an eye for an eye" if the US and South Korea threaten the country with missiles and nuclear weapons.

Newsreader, DPRK State Television, said, "If they tighten ‘sanctions' and push ‘confrontation’ to an extreme phase, the DPRK will react to them with merciless retaliation and an all-out war of justice."

The annual U.S.-South Korea drills, combined with computer simulation exercises, are aimed at improving the allies' responsive abilities in the event of external aggression on the Korean peninsula.

The DPRK, on the other hand, sees the yearly ritual as preparations for an impending invasion.

The U.S. says United Nations Command has informed the Korean People's Army of the DPRK about the upcoming drill, saying it is a defensive military exercise, not a provocative action.

Despite the DPRK's recent conciliatory gestures of freeing two detained US journalists and a South Korean worker, tensions continue on the divided peninsula, mainly over the DPRK's nuclear program.

On Saturday, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak renewed an offer of aid to the DPRK. He also called for a "candid dialogue" on dismantling the DPRK's nuclear program so it can prosper economically.