North Korea has warned of a strong response to the annual joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States calling the drill a blatant war rehearsal.

The North Korean Foreign Ministry said on Saturday in a statement that in spite of the North’s repeated warnings, the United States launched the joint military drill, which is a blatant scheme to wage a nuclear war and to bring the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia into the war.

The North then warned of a merciless military response if its territorial boundaries are violated during the military drills.

North Korea is issuing a series of statements condemning the Foal Eagle and Key Resolve drills, which kicked off on Wednesday.