The government has rejected North Korea’s demand for the cancellation of this year’s joint military drills with the U.S.

In a regular briefing on Monday, Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said that it is not right for the North to link its nuclear tests to South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises.

While stressing that the joint drills are for the South to defend itself from North Korean military threats, the spokesman likened Pyongyang to a thief demanding a house’s gate be left open.
   
The spokesman stressed that UN Security Council resolutions ban North Korea from conducting nuclear tests and the North has the obligation to abide by them.
   
In a message sent to the U.S. last Friday, North Korea proposed to temporarily suspend nuclear tests if the United States called off its annual joint military exercises with South Korea.