PYONGYANG, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) condemned an ongoing major joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea, saying it is "extremely provocative" and calling the two countries "chief culprits" who undermine peace on the Korean Peninsula, state media said Saturday.

In a Friday press statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), a spokesperson for the General Staff of the Korean People's Army said the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, being staged on land, at sea and in the air of the Republic of Korea (ROK), is "an extremely provocative and aggressive large-scale drill for an actual war clearly aimed at a sudden preemptive attack on the DPRK."

The spokesperson underscored in the statement the gravity and danger of the drill, saying it includes the application of a war scenario simulating a preemptive strike against the DPRK nuclear facilities as well as various kinds of military maneuvering and live firing exercises.

"The reckless war drill of the U.S. and the ROK warmongers is seriously threatening the security environment of the DPRK and pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula and in the region to the extreme tension," said the spokesperson.

The statement also noted that some British warships participating in a joint maritime drill in the Pacific Ocean entered South Korea's Busan operational base and other forces of "UN Command" member states joined the military drill, turning it into a multinational military drill and redoubling the military threats it posed to the DPRK, according to the KCNA report.

The military drill "leads to the destruction of balance of power in the region and the chief culprit of harassing peace on the Korean peninsula is none other than the U.S. and the ROK," said the statement.

The DPRK army will further bolster its full readiness, and will respond to the military provocations of the hostile forces posing direct threats to the safety of the country with "proper and indiscriminate exercise of the right to self-defence," the statement added. ■