UPDATE - North Korean leader slams US-South Korean drills

UPDATES WITH REMARKS FROM SOUTH KOREAN PREMIER, ADDS ANOTHER DECK

By Islamuddin Sajid and Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un slammed joint military drills underway between the US and South Korea, saying they show their will to "ignite a war,” state-run media reported Tuesday.

Kim made the remarks while observing an integrated operation test of weapons systems on the North's first 5,000-ton destroyer, the Choe Hyon, on Monday, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

"The joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, which are being conducted again from today, are a clear expression of their stance that clearly shows their intention to be the most hostile and confrontational toward the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," the agency quoted him as saying.

He added that the exercises have grown more provocative by incorporating a “nuclear element,” requiring North Korea to respond with “proactive and overwhelming” countermeasures.

Meanwhile, in his first news conference, South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said Tuesday that Seoul will continue to send "complex" messages to North Korea aimed at fostering peace while safeguarding security, according to the Yonhap news agency.

”We are also conducting drills that the North views as hostile, yet we are also sending messages aimed at building peace," Kim said.

”When it comes to inter-Korean ties, there cannot be a single message. We send complex messages to the North and so does the North ... That's what we have done until now and will continue to do," Kim added.

The 11-day annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise began on Monday to strengthen the two countries’ defense readiness against potential threats from North Korea.

The large-scale exercise is being held alongside a four-day civil defense exercise that runs through Thursday, mobilizing about 580,000 civilians.

An anti-air raid civil defense drill will be conducted nationwide on Wednesday as part of the civil defense drills.

Separately, six former North Korean soldiers and spies, who were arrested in South Korea for refusing to abandon their socialist ideology, have requested to be repatriated to their country, according to Yonhap.