North Korea threatens to turn South into 'field of ruin'

Aug. 31 (UPI) -- A North Korean committee advocating peace on the peninsula threatened to turn South Korea into a "field of ruin," following the launch of a midrange ballistic missile that flew over Japan on Tuesday.

The warning comes after a squadron of South Korean F-15K fighter jets staged a live-bombing drill against North Korea's leadership on Tuesday.

Seoul's military also test-fired the 300-mile range ballistic missile Hyunmoo-2B, capable of hitting targets on ground and in water.

"The [North Korea] drill this time was a righteous exercise of self-defense and was part of a demonstration against the Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint military exercises," the North Korean committee said, according to Yonhap.

"The puppets may scream about serious provocations, but this is the height of impudence, and extreme paranoia," the committee said in a segment that aired on state-controlled KCTV on Thursday. "One must not forget for a moment the Mount Paektu revolutionary forces maintain final preparedness and could turn South Korea's territory into a field of ruin if they play with fire."

The committee then advised South Korea to "reflect on the significance of [North Korea] ballistic missile training."

The North Korean group also said Pyongyang's military will "continue to train many times in the targeting of U.S. imperial invasion bases in the Pacific Ocean."

"Shameless playing around by the United States will be shown the decisive will of self-reliant [North} Korea," the committee said.