Pyongyang's fighting talk

North Korea's Army said yesterday it is ready to "blow up" South Korea and the United States, hours after the allies kicked off annual military drills that Pyongyang has slammed as a rehearsal for attack.

South Korea and the US - which normally dismiss such threats as rhetoric - began 11 days of drills across South Korea yesterday to rehearse how the US would deploy in time of emergency on the Korean peninsula.

The US and South Korea argue the drills - which include live firing by US Marines, aerial attack drills and urban warfare training - are purely defensive.

North Korea claims they amount to attack preparations and has demanded they be cancelled.