The diplomat said that North Korea is ready to go to war in response to provocations by the US. The statement runs that the US is trying to undermine North Korea's efforts to concentrate on economic development by means of military pressure. According to the ministry, the US authorities are escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula in order to justify building up US military presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

PYONGYANG, March 2. /TASS/. Pyonyang considers joint US-South Korean Key Resolve и Foal Eagle military drills an agressive action in the frame of US strategy of toppling the social system of North Korea, a representative of the country's Foreign Ministry has announced.

The ministry representative reminded that this year North Korea said it was ready to introduce a moratorium on nuclear tests should the US and South Korea give up plans to hold the regular massive drills and offered talks on the issue.

However, the US government has rejected Pyongyang’s initiative and US President Barack Obama announced a decision to impose additional sanctions on North Korea.

"North Korea is ready for any kind of war with the US," and "the people’s army will react to Washington’s hostile policy" by retaliation, the diplomat stressed.

The annual US-South Korean Foal Eagle military drills, which started on Monday, will end on April 24. They will involve 200,000 South Korean troops and a 3,700-strong contingent of US forces.

Simultaneously, the massive US-South Korean Key Resolve drills are to start in the south of the Korean Peninsula on Monday and will last until March 13. They will involve 10,000 South Korean troops and 8,600 US troops.