Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA)

A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry Wednesday gave the following answer to a question raised by KCNA as regards the fact that the U.S. and its vassal forces are moving to take issue with the ballistic rocket launching drill staged by the Korean People's Army (KPA):

The ballistic rocket launching drill conducted by the Hwasong artillery units of the Strategic Force of the KPA this time is a routine one to resolutely frustrate the ever more undisguised nuclear war racket of the U.S. and other hostile forces and honourably defend the security of the country and nation.

The U.S. and south Korean puppet forces kicked off the joint military manoeuvres aimed at a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the DPRK only to push the situation to the brink of a nuclear war.

It is a just self-defensive right of a sovereign state to keep highly alert as required by the grim situation in which an actual war may break out anytime and to consolidate powerful deterrence in every way to mercilessly wipe out the aggressors.

Nevertheless, the U.S. and other hostile forces are openly conducting the drills for a real war aimed at a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the DPRK by mobilizing lots of strategic assets and armed forces. They let the UN Security Council release a press statement, labelling KPA's routine drill as "threat". It is a brigandish act like a thief crying "stop thief!"

The DPRK categorically rejects the press statement of the UNSC as it wantonly violated sovereign state's rights to self-defence.

It is the unanimous view of the fair-minded international community that the largest-ever nuclear war drills launched by the U.S. in league with the south Korean puppet forces are the root cause of pushing the DPRK to take the toughest action.

The DPRK has already clarified several times that the joint military drills are potentially dangerous as they will wreck peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and screw up regional tensions. So, it filed complaint with the UNSC against the war games this time, too.

How to deal with the complaint and the ill-intended manoeuvres of the U.S. and its vassal forces will be a marked occasion for the UNSC to show the international community whether the UNSC regarding it as its mission to preserve global peace and security fulfils its responsibility or not.

As already clarified, the KPA will reduce the bases of aggression and provocations to ashes with its invincible Hwasong rockets tipped with nuclear warheads and reliably defend the security of the country and its people's happiness in case the U.S. and the south Korean puppet forces fire even a single bullet at the territory of the DPRK.

The DPRK will certainly preserve its peace and security with its own efforts and positively contribute to protecting global peace and security.