(CNN) — North Korea has called on the United States and South Korea to end large-scale military exercises in the region, a spokesman for the North’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.
“The situation on and around the Korean Peninsula has once again entered a stage of serious power conflict due to the continuous and reckless military moves of the United States and South Korea,” the statement said.
South Korea and the United States began a series of large-scale military air exercises on Monday to bolster deterrence against potential North Korean provocations. The exercises will involve more than 100 fighter jets and will take place over South Korean airspace from October 31 to November 4.
The spokesman also warned that the North Korean government could take “stronger retaliatory measures” if the drills continued.
“If the United States continues with serious military provocations, the DPRK will consider stronger countermeasures,” the statement said.
“If the United States does not want any serious measures that do not suit its security interests, it must immediately stop the useless and ineffective war exercises. Otherwise, you will have to bear the full blame for all the consequences,” the press release warns.