Pyongyang threatens to strike Seoul's presidential office

PYONGYANG -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday threatened to launch retaliatory strikes at the Republic of Korea's presidential office, in response to the ongoing joint military drills by the ROK and the Untied States.

The DPRK's armed forces will be oriented to wage a retaliatory battle to eliminate the ROK's President Park Geun-hye's administration, said a statement issued by the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea and carried by the state-run news agency KCNA.

The strikes may start from the presidential office, Chongwadae, or nearby locations, it added.

The statement threatened that once the buttons of large-caliber multiple rocket launchers are pushed, the presidential office would be "reduced to a sea in flames and ashes."

On Monday, DPRK top leader Kim Jong-un guided the test firing of a new-type large-caliber multiple rocket launcher, the second time he has watched the test firing of the newly developed rocket launching system in a month.

When guiding the test firing of the new-type rocket launcher for the first time on March 3, Kim ordered the military to be prepared to fire the country's deployed nuclear warheads at any time.

On March 7, the ROK and the United States kicked off their joint annual war games, dubbed "Key Resolve" and "Foal Eagle".

The "Key Resolve" command post exercise ended last Friday, but the "Foal Eagle" field training exercises will last until April 30.

Pyongyang has repeatedly condemned the joint military exercises, claiming that they are "war rehearsals for northward invasion."