North Korea has issued strong threats in response to the South Korea-U.S. Ulchi Freedom Guardian(UFG) military exercise that launched on Monday.
 
The North’s General Staff said in a statement issued on Monday that the North will launch preemptive nuclear strikes if it spots any sign of invasion.
 
The statement also said the North retains battle readiness all year round, claiming that the Korean Peninsula is currently in a critical state where nuclear war can break out at any time.
 
The General Staff, which is the equivalent of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the UFG drill is a military offensive that comes amid the failure of what it called “hostile” policies toward Pyongyang.
 
In particular, the General Staff said its statement was issued in accordance with authorization, making clear that it came at the decision of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.