ROK Air Force F-15K and U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets, along with a U.S. B-52H strategic bomber, conduct a joint ROK-U.S. aerial exercise over the Korean Peninsula, July 13, 2023. Newsis

North Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement Sunday that it would maintain "the toughest counteraction" to the United States as long as Washington rejected its sovereignty and security interests.

The North's foreign ministry made the remarks as it condemned joint air drills between South Korea and the U.S., the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, days after U.S. President Donald Trump expressed intent to reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

"The reality stresses that the DPRK should counter the U.S. with the toughest counteraction from A to Z as long as it refuses the sovereignty and security interests of the DPRK and this is the best option for dealing with the U.S.," the statement said.

DPRK stands for the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The report came just days after Trump called Kim a "smart guy" and expressed his intention to again reach out to the North's leader.

The foreign ministry referred to a four-day combined aerial exercise between Seoul and Washington conducted at an air base in South Korea's Wonju last week, as well as another recent trilateral joint air drill also involving Japan, calling them a "grave challenge" to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

The ministry warned that "such moves will entail a reflective counteraction," adding that the country "will not permit the imbalance of strength ... and take the toughest counteraction to defend the sovereign right and security interests of the state and thoroughly ensure peace and stability in the region." (Yonhap)