United States/North Korea/South Korea: U.S. accuses North Korea, defends military exercises with S. Korea.

Section: General News - The United States on Monday defended its annual military exercises with South Korea while accusing the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) of making "bellicose rhetoric." "Our military exercises with the Republic of (South) Korea are not a threat to the North," State Department acting spokesman Robert Wood told reporters.

"What is a threat to the region is this bellicose rhetoric coming out of the North," Wood added.

The DPRK vowed earlier in the day to take strict retaliatory measures over any slight offensives from the United States, Japan and South Korea as the United States and South Korean military launched a massive …