The joint military exercises by the United States and South Korea was a "scheme for aggression to mount a preemptive nuclear attack" on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), a spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

The joint military exercises aggravated the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the official news agency KCNA quoted the spokesman as saying.

It was "foolish" that the United States tried to stifle the DPRK's ideology and system by force, he said.

The spokesman said it was the "right option" for the DPRK to strengthen its deterrent force for self-defense and the country would adopt "tough measures" against any provocation by the United States and South Korea.

The annual US.-South Korea "Ulji Freedom Guardian" joint military exercises began on Aug. 17 and will run until Aug. 27.

The two Koreas are technically still at war, since no peace treaty was signed after their 1950-53 conflict. The United States currently has about 28,500 troops in South Korea.??

(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2009)