PYONGYANG, June 28 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Wednesday that an unconditional end of joint military drills by the United States and South Korea is the precondition for defusing tensions on the Korean peninsula.
The official daily Rodong Sinmun said in an article that "it is necessary to defuse the acute military tension on the Korean peninsula."
"To this end, the U.S. and the South Korean authorities should unconditionally stop various types of annual joint military exercises against the DPRK," it said.
Calling the drills "a main factor threatening peace on the Korean peninsula and doing harm to the Korean nation's security," the article also said they "can never be justified with any rhetoric as they bring only misfortune and disaster to the Korean nation."
The DPRK has recently hinted that it could suspend nuclear and missile tests if the United States and South Korea stop the drills.
