Pyongyang, February 19 (KCNA) -- Displeased with the atmosphere for detente being created on the Korean peninsula thanks to the peace-loving and proactive measure taken by the DPRK, the U.S. is openly going against it.

A typical example is the recent bluffing made by the U.S. charge d'affaires a.i. to south Korea, who at the instigation of the Trump group openly hinted that the joint military exercises with south Korea would be conducted as usual after the Winter Olympics and the issue of postponing the military exercises further has not yet been discussed.

The Trump group's racket for resuming the war exercises is a wild act of ruthlessly trampling even a small sprout of peace that has been now seen on the Korean peninsula, and it is a provocative act of chilling the active efforts of the DPRK and enthusiasm of the international community to defuse tension and create a peaceful environment.

This proves that the U.S. war shadow expected to loom after the Olympics has begun to be activated in its practical phase, not just as a hypothesis.

It is a well-known fact that whenever the DPRK-targeted U.S.-south Korea joint military exercises were held, the peace and security on the Korean peninsula were seriously threatened and hard-won atmosphere for reconciliation and cooperation between the north and the south were spoilt in a moment.

What is more serious is that the Trump group recently announced it would expand the scope of the use of nuclear weapons so that they can be used even at the time of conventional weapon attack on the U.S. and its "allies", and the shipment of huge nuclear strategic hardware to and around the Korean peninsula is timed to coincide with this.

This has touched off the worldwide concerns. Lots of media and experts of the world are now worried that the resumption of the large-scale joint military exercises by the U.S. after the Winter Olympics would without doubt rattle the DPRK and chill the north-south ties that are showing positive sign, and would again push the regional situation to the extremes.

We have already clarified that we will resolutely counter any act of harassing peace and security on the Korean peninsula, and this is by no means any rhetorical threat.

However valuable the improvement of the north-south ties and the peaceful environment may be, the army and people of the DPRK will never remain an onlooker to the gangster-like acts aimed to encroach upon the security and interests of a sovereign state and to interfere in its internal affairs. The U.S. has to clearly understand this.

It is the principled stand and unshakable will of the army and people of the DPRK to counter provocation by prompt counterstrike.

The DPRK which has towered as a new strategic state will never flinch even an inch back from the path of defending independence and justice.

The Trump group has to ponder over the catastrophic consequence to be entailed by its reckless saber-rattling, and make a responsible choice. -0-