Anchor: North Korea on Tuesday criticized the annual South Korea-U.S. joint Freedom Shield military exercise, warning the nations will pay a "dear price" for what it called their large-scale war drills. The statements come despite the allies saying that the annual drills are defensive in nature.
Max Lee has more.

Report: North Korea has once again slammed the annual Freedom Shield South Korea-U.S. joint military drills.

The North's defense ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, through its state-run Korean Central News Agency(KCNA), that Seoul and Washington will pay a "dear price" for their part in what they called  "large-scale war drills."

It added that the two countries have once again initiated provocative large-scale joint military exercises that amplify the unpredictability of the situation in the region.

The statement, which was issued by an unnamed spokesperson at the North's defense ministry, further condemned the annual Freedom Shield exercise, calling it "large-scale war drills staged by the world's biggest nuclear weapons state and more than ten satellite states against a state in the Korean Peninsula, where a nuclear war may be ignited even with a spark."

The spokesperson further explained that such actions cannot be called "defensive."

The official also said that the regime's army will continue to monitor what it called the enemies' "adventurist acts" and respond with "responsible military activities" to bring the unstable security situation under control.

In response to the North's remarks, an official from Seoul's Ministry of Unification said that North Korea's hostile reaction was expected, adding that Seoul expresses its position each time the joint military drills are conducted and will not release another statement.

The Freedom Shield joint exercise, which began Monday, will be held for eleven days until March 14, focusing on training to neutralize North Korea's nuclear threat. 

There's also a possibility that U.S. military strategic assets, such as strategic bombers and aircraft carriers, will be deployed on the Korean Peninsula during this period. 
Max Lee, KBS World Radio News.