North Korea threatens preemptive nuclear strike

North Korea warned it would make a "preemptive and offensive nuclear strike" in response to joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises set to begin Monday. The news was announced in a statement by the National Defense Commission of North Korea and published in the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "As the joint military exercises to be staged by the enemies are regarded as the most undisguised nuclear war drills aimed to infringe upon the sovereignty of the DPRK, its military counteraction will be more preemptive and offensive nuclear strike to cope with them," the statement read.