North Korea issues threat after nuclear attack prep military drill announcement by USA, South Korea

North Korea threatened to take “unprecedented” strong action against its rivals on Friday, soon after South Korea announced a series of planned military drills with the United States to hone their joint response to the North's increasing nuclear threats.

Friday's warning suggests that the North's testing could resume soon over its rivals' military training, which it views as an invasion rehearsal.

“In case the U.S. and South Korea carry into practice their already announced plan for military drills that (North Korea), with just apprehension and reason, regards as preparations for an aggression war, they will face unprecedentedly persistent and strong counteractions,” the North Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by state media.

Seoul officials on Friday announced South Korean and United States militaries will hold a tabletop exercise at the Pentagon next week to prepare for the potential use of nuclear weapons by North Korea.

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The one-day computer simulation set for Wednesday comes as the two countries push to strengthen their 70-year alliance in the face of North Korea's increasingly aggressive nuclear doctrine.

North Korea has previously slammed military drills between its rivals as an invasion rehearsal and responded with its own weapons tests, and could make an angry response to next week's South Korea-US tabletop exercise.