The drills, which will kick off next week, are a "direct military provocation" against North Korea, Pyongyang said.

On Monday, North Korea denounced a large-scale joint military exercise between the US and South Korea, warning that it would exercise its "self-defense" right in the event of a provocation.

Micah McCartney is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers U.S.-China relations, East Asian and Southeast Asian ... Read more

North Korea has issued a stark warning to the United States and South Korea over their upcoming Ulchi Freedom Shield military drills, calling them a “direct provocation” and a serious threat to stability on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea's defense chief on Monday condemned an upcoming large-scale joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea and warned of "negative consequences."

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military said Saturday it detected North Korea removing some of its loudspeakers from the inter-Korean border, days after the South dismantled its own front-line speakers used for anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts, in a bid to ease tensions.

North Korea's defense chief on Monday warned that Pyongyang would exercise its "self-defense" right in the event of a provocation, denouncing a planned large-scale joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States.