Kim Yo-jong issued the warning in response to South Korean reports citing the US Commander in the Indo-Pacific Region as saying on February 24 that if North Korea launched a ballistic missile towards the Pacific Ocean, it would be immediately shot down.
"It [the military activities of the US] will be viewed as a clear declaration of war against North Korea, if such a reaction as a missile interception takes place in response to our strategic arms tests that are conducted without posing threat to the security of the neighboring states in open waters and air outside of the US's jurisdiction," she said in a statement, as quoted by the North Korean Central News Agency.
The sister of the North Korean leader said that it was interesting and inappropriate to hear the condemnation from the US, which itself often conducts weapons tests.
The North Korean Foreign Ministry also thinks that the joint military exercises of the US and South Korea escalate the situation on the Korean peninsula.
"The threat of nuclear war on the Korean peninsula becomes real due to the irresponsible actions of the US and South Korea," Pyongyang stated.
On February 22, the US, South Korea and Japan conducted joint exercises on missile defense in the Sea of Japan, with US strategic bombers also taking part in the joint exercises of the US and South Korea in February.