The Rodong Sinmun of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Saturday accused a upcoming U.S.-South Korean military exercise of damaging the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.

The large-scale anti-submarine drill, due to start Sunday off the west coast of the peninsula, is an "intolerable challenge" and a "serious military provocation" leading the peninsular to the "edge of war," the official newspaper said in a commentary.

Washington and Seoul should immediately call off the exercise, or they would be totally responsible for "the serious consequence," it warned.

U.S. and South Korean militaries said the five-day drill will be the second in a series of planned joint military maneuvers as part of their response to the sinking of a South Korean warship in March.

Washington and Seoul said Pyongyang was behind the March incident, an allegation vehemently denied by the DPRK, which also condemned the drills as preparation for invasion and threatened a counteraction.