The US and South Korea have conducted several massive joint sea and air drills in waters east of the Korean Peninsula.( File photo)
North Korea has condemned the latest joint military exercise between the South and the United States, saying the drill is a declaration of war.
The North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK) said on Thursday that the 10-day joint exercise is an "unpardonable heinous provocation" against the North, AFP reported.
"This is a declaration of an all-out war against the DPRK (North Korea)," the state body said in an English-language statement carried by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency.
The annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise began on Tuesday and involves more than 530,000 troops.
Washington and Seoul claim the maneuver is only a defensive and routine exercise.
South Korean military officials have said the exercise will see troops simulate the detection and destruction of North Korean atomic bombs, missiles, and chemical weapons.
But Pyongyang claims it's a rehearsal for an attack on the North. It says the provocative move indicates the US determination to stifle the North by force.
The US and South Korea have conducted several massive joint sea and air drills in waters east of the Korean Peninsula.
Last November, Seoul and Pyongyang exchanged artillery fire in the Yellow Sea border island of Yeonpyeong. The two blamed each other for the launch of the border fighting.
South Korea said it returned fire after North Korean forces shelled one of its islands, but the North said the South fired first. Two South Korean troops died during the clashes.
MSH/MB
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