'Brink of explosion' for the Korean Peninsula, according to Pyongyang

North Korea has warned that Washington's joint military exercises with South Korea and Japan are pushing the region closer to an armed conflict. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the exercises are taking on a "more undisguised and dangerous nature" and Pyongyang views them as a threat to its security. The agency warned that Washington and Seoul would face corresponding responses if they fail to equip themselves with more powerful self-defensive means.