North Korea on Monday threatened “consequences” and an unspecified military response for the joint military drills between South Korea and the US. North Korea threatened retaliation claiming that the drills are a part of an “invasion plot”of both the countries. Pyngyang’s threats came as the South Korean and US military began its annual command post training, as well as the field drills that are estimated to be twice compared to last year. It involves the live-firing, bombing, air assault and missile interception drills among other rehearsals.

In a statement published by KCNA, North’s Defense Ministry said it "strongly denounces the reckless military drills of the US and [South Korea] for getting more undisguised in their military threat to a sovereign state and attempt to invade it."  A North Korean military spokesperson said that the North will "continue to watch the adventurist acts of the enemies and conduct responsible military activities to strongly control the unstable security environment on the Korean Peninsula.”

US South Korea drills aimed at deterring North's nuclear threats

While North Korea did not specify the military action it may take in response to the belligerence of the US and South Korea, the spokesperson said that it will conduct missile tests or other steps to bolster its war capability to ward off external threats to its sovereignty. Pyongyang often slams the South Korean and the US drills as exercising the attempts at the invasion of the North. The South Korean Defence Ministry said that this year, the drills with the US are aimed at deterring the North's nuclear threats.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have heightened and the authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un warned that his country no longer seeks a reconciliation with the South. He called for the rewriting of the constitution to eliminate the concept of shared statehood. Russia-aligned Kim has declared South Korea a “permanent adversary” owing to the latter’s close ties with the United States.