The United States backed South Korea's right to conduct military exercises and warned North Korea against responding provocatively, dpa reported.
"A country has every right to train and exercise its military in its own self-defence," US State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said Friday.
"North Korea should not use any future legitimate training exercises as justification to undertake further provocative actions," Crowley added.
South Korea plans to conduct live fire drills near the disputed maritime border with North Korea sometime in the next several days. Pyongyang has threatened to respond forcefully. The North Korean government-controlled news agency said it will be "more serious" than the shelling the country launched on a South Korea island in November.
The attack killed four people and heightened tension on the peninsula. The United States has vowed to defend its ally South Korea.
Russia has reportedly urged South Korea to cancel the drills and urged Washington to do the same.
...