North Korea vows ‘merciless’ response to US-South drills

North Korea has pledged a “merciless” response to the United States and South Korea as the two countries begin their joint military exercises.

The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted a spokesman for the Korean People’s Army (KPA) on Monday said: “The only means to cope with the aggression and war by the US imperialists and their followers is neither dialogue nor peace. They should be dealt with only by merciless strikes.”
The remarks came on the same day that Washington and Seoul launched war games described by Pyongyang as provocative.
The KPA spokesman said the maneuvers were “dangerous nuclear war drills for invading the DPRK (North Korea),” warning that Pyongyang will “promptly take counteractions” in case of any incursion.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that the North had fired two short-range missiles into the East Sea ahead of the start of the exercises.
Last week, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, called on his country’s army to strengthen its preparedness for a possible military confrontation with the US and its allies.
The annual US-South Korea military drills begin in February every year and last until April 18. More than 12,500 US troops take part in the exercises.