Ongoing joint military drills by the U.S. and South Korea represent acts of aggression against North Korea, a spokesperson for North Korea’s Panmunjom Mission of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) said on Tuesday.

In a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the military official said the Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercises, which began on Monday and will continue until the 31st, are intended to practice an invasion of the DPRK.

“The U.S. will be wholly held accountable for the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by such reckless aggressive war maneuvers, as it chose a military confrontation with