SEOUL – Tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops began a military exercise simulating an all-out North Korean attack today, as Pyongyang threatened a pre-emptive strike on forces participating in the drill. Ulchi Freedom plays out a full-scale invasion scenario by North Korea and both Seoul and Washington insist it remains purely defensive in nature. North Korea’s frontline units were "fully ready to mount a preemptive retaliatory strike at all enemy attack groups involved," said a spokesman for the KPA General Staff. The slightest violation of North Korea’s territorial sovereignty during the military drill would result in the source of the provocation being turned "into a heap of ashes through Korean-style preemptive nuclear strike," the spokesman said. As tensions rose in the wake of North Korea’s fourth nuclear test in January, Pyongyang shut down the two existing hotlines with South Korea - one used by the military and one for government-to-government communications.

Source: Viet Nam News August 22, 2016 04:07 UTC