PYONGYANG, Aug. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Wednesday strongly condemned the ongoing joint military exercises by the United States and South Korea.

    A signed commentary carried by Rodong Sinmun, a major newspaper of the the DPRK, said "The US should ponder over the serious consequences to be entailed by the military exercises against the DPRK and immediately stop the joint military exercises that go against peace and dialogue", said the commentary.

    According to reports from South Korea, the Ulji Focus Lens-05 joint military exercises began in south Korea on Aug. 22 and will last until Sept. 2.

    The article said "The US is getting itself fully ready for another Korean war."

    "The on-going saber-rattling is, therefore, a preliminary operation to provoke the Korean war of aggression," the commentary noted.

    It also said the exercises are aimed to " hamstring the favorable process of inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation, and pressurize the DPRK by force of arms to meet the unreasonable demands it raised at the Six-party Talks".

    "Should the US persistently escalate its military provocations and war moves against the DPRK, showing no change in its policy of stifling it as now, the prospect of confidence building between Pyongyang and Washington will be remote and the situation will turn more complicated," the commentary warned. Enditem