North Korea threatened Friday to take “unprecedently” strong action against its rivals, soon after South Korea announced a series of military drills with  the US to hone their joint response to the North’s increasing nuclear threats.

North Korea has halted weapons testing activities since its short-range missile firing on Jan. 1, though it launched more than 70 missiles in 2022 — a record number for a single year. Friday’s warning suggests the North’s testing could resume soon over its rivals’ military training, which it views as an invasion rehearsal.