North Korea says US drills with south could cause war

North Korea has condemned the annual joint United States-South Korea military drills, saying the exercises could lead to an actual war.

A North Korean People's Army (KPA) spokesman described the wargames, which have been under way in South Korea since Monday, as an "undisguised military threat and blackmail" against Pyongyang.

A statement, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, warned that it could lead to an actual war, while repeating its regular warning that North Korea had the right to take "pre-emptive" measures in self-defence.

Seoul and Washington say the exercises, which have been held annually since 1975, are for defence.

The drills come amid tension heightened by North Korea's missile tests last month and reports that is preparing a nuclear test.

Since the 1950-1953 Korean war, US troops have been stationed in the South to help its 650,000-strong army face up to North Korea's 1.2 million-strong army.

According to military officials from both sides, this year's exercise, which will continue until September 1, involves 9000 US troops and an undisclosed number of South Korean soldiers.

Kim Yong-Kyu, a spokesman of the US-South Korea Combined Forces Command in Seoul, said the exercises were "purely defensive, defence-oriented drills."

He said the drills largely featured computer-simulated war games conducted at command posts and not field manoeuvres.

He said some 4000 US troops have been brought in from the Pacific and elsewhere to join another 5000 US troops, part of the American contingent permanently stationed in the South.

- RADIO AUSTRALIA