The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) ordered "special alerts" throughout the country in response to the impending joint military exercises by South Korea and the United States on Monday, vowing to retaliate military provocation with nukes.

"Should the US and the south Korean commit even the slightest military provocation infringing upon the DPRK's sovereignty, it will mount a merciless and prompt annihilating strike at the aggressors with all offensive and defensive means including nuclear deterrent involved," the official KCNA news agency said, citing an order issued by the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army.

The exercises were "a blatant challenge and grave threat to the peace on the Korean Peninsula and the rest of Asia as they are aimed to launch aggression and mount a surprise preemptive strike on the DPRK," it said.

It ordered all military forces, including militia, to "closely follow all the moves of the aggressors with high revolutionary vigilance and make an immediate strong attack on perpetrators of any hostile act of intruding the sky, land and seas of the country."

The annual "Ulji Freedom Guardian joint military exercises" by the US and South Korea will kick off on August 17 and close on August 27.

The two Koreas are technically still at war since no peace treaty was signed after their 1950-53 conflict. The US stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea to support its own 670,000 soldiers.

(Xinhua News Agency August 17, 2009)