North Korea will speed up measures to bolster its nuclear program "at the maximum pace" in response to the U.S. policy that calls for new sanctions and "maximum pressure and engagement,"
A Foreign Ministry statement circulated by the North Korea's U.N. Mission on Monday said the nuclear-armed country was ready to respond to any option taken by the U.S.
It said that during recent U.S.-South Korean military drills, "U.S. aggression hysteria" reached its highest point and the situation on the Korean peninsula had inched closer "to the brink of nuclear war."
The statement said that unless Washington ended its "hostile policy" and nuclear threats, North Korea "will continue to bolster its military capabilities for self-defense and pre-emptive nuclear attack" despite "manifold difficulties."