North Korea condemns 'dangerous pranks' of U.S., South Korea

Aug. 23 (UPI) -- North Korea denounced the ongoing joint U.S.-South Korea drills on the peninsula and warned Washington and Seoul not to engage in "rash acts."

A Pyongyang "peace" committee specializing in propaganda stated Wednesday the annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian drills are a "provocative war exercise" targeting North Korea, Yonhap reported.

"Needless to say, we will ultimately not stand by and watch the dangerous pranks of the stupid fools before our nuclear and chemical weapons. Our blood boils with the will to retaliate and destroy our enemy," the committee said.

The warning came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump told supporters in Arizona that his North Korea policy may be working and North Korea's Kim Jong Un has "started to respect" the United States.

"But, Kim Jong Un, I respect the fact that I believe he is starting to respect us," Trump said. "I respect that fact very much. Respect that fact."

"And maybe, probably not, but maybe something positive can come about," the president added.

Trump had threatened to unleash "fire and fury" against North Korea, and the following week Pyongyang stepped down verbal threats, while calling for a "monitoring" of the United States.

But North Korea ignored Trump's message on Wednesday, bringing attention once again to its weapons of mass destruction.

"The United States must not forget for even one moment that it is confronting a nuclear-armed, intercontinental ballistic missile state. It must not forget it cannot escape its miserable fate unless it discards old notions of territorial security," North Korea stated.

Last week Pyongyang had warned of a "second Korean War" ahead of the joint exercises.