Tension high on Korean peninsula as military drills begin

North Korea, which is preparing to test-fire its longest-range ballistic missile, also said it would regard the shooting down of any of its rockets as an act of war.

The North Korean army said in a statement that the drills were a "military provocation" that would only occur "on the eve of a war."

Pyongyang regularly accuses the United States and South Korea of aggressive intentions before the exercises, which have been held for years without major incident.