Pyongyang calls use of flag in US-ROK drill a 'grave action'

Pyongyang slammed the use of its flag as an "extremely serious military and political provocation" in a US-ROK joint drill, and said it will further "bolster up" its nuclear deterrent, the official Korean Central News Agency reported on Monday.

US and ROK troops on Friday staged the largest-ever joint live firing drill in the Republic of Korea and fired at the flag of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK said in a statement on Sunday.

"It is an extremely grave military action and politically motivated provocation to fire live bullets and shells at the flag of a sovereign state without a declaration of war," the statement said.