North Korea on Friday denounced an upcoming joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States, warning it will respond to the drills "with a new level of a deterrent." A spokesperson at North Korea's foreign ministry made the statement, as South Korea and the U.S. are set to begin the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise starting Monday until Aug. 27. North Korea said the U.S. had described the annual exercise as "quite different from the ones of the past five years," framing it as Washington's effort to master modern warfare tactics, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "By doing so, it did not conceal its aim to complete preparations for the substantial military confrontation with" North Korea, the statement read. "It is our consistent principle of ensuring security to respond to a new level of a threat with a new level of a deterrent," it said. The statement stressed Pyongyang "remains steadfast in its will to frustrate outsiders' hostile acts with the most powerful and overwhelming force and absolutely defend the supreme interests of the state secu