(MENAFN) North Korea issued a sharp rebuke Monday over upcoming joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea, vowing to invoke its “self-defense” rights should any provocation occur, according to media.

The statement, delivered by North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang-chol, comes just a week before the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercises are set to begin, scheduled for August 18 to 28.

"We strongly denounce the US and the ROK (Republic of Korea) for their provocative moves of clearly showing the stand of military confrontation with the DPRK," said No, using the official name Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

No accused Washington and Seoul of destabilizing the Korean Peninsula’s security and warned the drills could trigger “negative consequences.”

Calling UFS "a direct military provocation" and "a real threat," the minister emphasized that North Korea’s forces "will cope with the war drills ... with thoroughgoing and resolute counteraction posture and strictly exercise the sovereign right of the DPRK at the level of the right to self-defense in a case of any provocation going beyond the boundary line."

Approximately 20 of the originally planned 40 UFS drills have been delayed until next month. The postponements are attributed to extreme heat, flood damage, and what officials in Seoul describe as a gesture aimed at improving inter-Korean relations.

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