North Korea issues chilling warning of 'powerful follow-up' after US-South Korea drills

North Korea said it was ready for "stronger follow-up action" if the US and South Korea continue their drills recently stepped up military The United States and South Korea have intensified their joint exercises (

Image: AFP via Getty Images

North Korea has warned of "more powerful follow-up measures" in response to the intensification of joint US military exercises with South Korea.

The secretive state claimed that the military activities of its southern neighbors and the Americans are practiced before a possible invasion.

Aerial exercises involving more than 200 fighter jets, including their advanced F-35 fighter jets, have been carried out by the United States and South Korea as they strengthen their defense posture in the face of the increasing weapons testing and the growing nuclear threat from North Korea. .

North Korea has ramped up its missile launches at a record pace this year, firing more than 40 ballistic weapons, including developmental intercontinental ballistic missiles and an intermediate-range missile fired over Japan.

The North has punctuated these tests with a progressive nuclear doctrine that authorizes preemptive nuclear attacks in vaguely defined crisis situations.

Aerial exercises involving more than 200 warplanes took place between the United States and South Korea (

Picture:

Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock)

The United States and South Korea have resumed large-scale military exercises this year after reducing or suspending them in recent years as part of efforts to create diplomatic space with Pyongyang and due to the pandemic .

The United States and South Korea's "Vigilant Storm" air force drills, which are due to continue until Friday, came after South Korea completed its drills annual 12-day "Hoguk" field missions which officials said also involved an undetermined number of US troops.

North K...