Rodong Sinmun Thursday observes this in a bylined article.

To escalate the tension and confrontation on the peninsula is a stereotyped ploy of the warmongers to block the inter-Korean reconciliation and unity and seek a pretext for invading the DPRK, the article notes, and goes on:

The south Korean warmongers serve as a tool for carrying out the U.S. policy and strategy of aggression against the DPRK.

Having south Korea under its occupation for decades, the U.S. has worked hard to extend the sphere of its domination to the whole Korean Peninsula and use it as a springboard for establishing hegemony in Northeast Asia.

It is the scenario of the U.S. to carry out its strategy for domination over the whole of Korea with ease by fanning up discord and confrontation between the north and the south and pitting Koreans against themselves.

It is the south Korean puppet forces that faithfully follow that strategy, and their policy of confrontation with the DPRK is pursued to carry it out.

The U.S. and its south Korean lackeys have in place scenarios for a war of aggression against the DPRK like OPLAN 5027 and OPLAN 5029 worked out to cope with "contingency".

The south Korean warmongers are keen to provoke a war and put those war scenarios into practice come what may by escalating the military confrontation and tension on the peninsula to the worst phase.

They are using the DPRK's peaceful satellite launch and nuclear test for self-defence as a pretext for realizing the above-said scenario.

It was against this backdrop that the south Korean puppet forces kicked off Foal Eagle military exercises for aggression on March 1 in collusion with the U.S. Involved in this saber-rattling are huge troops and latest means for attack enough to fight a war. Adventurous war drills for making a preemptive attack are now under way under the simulated conditions of an actual war.

This saber-rattling cannot be interpreted otherwise than a dangerous action of those who have made their provocation of a new war an established fact.

The prevailing situation indicates that their hostile acts against the DPRK are leading to a military offensive for aggression, after going beyond the level of economic "sanctions".

The DPRK can never remain a passive onlooker to the situation where the sovereignty and dignity of the nation are infringed upon and the supreme interests of the country are facing a blatant challenge.

Its revolutionary armed forces have turned as one in the all-out action according to the operational plan finally signed by Marshal Kim Jong Un, supreme commander of the Korean People's Army.

If the group of traitors in south Korea dare preempt firing, the the DPRK will promptly go into action, wipe out them to the last man and thus eliminate the root cause of war from this land.