N. Korea warns of 'chain of countermeasures' over US-led RIMPAC exercise

North Korea denounced Friday an ongoing U.S.-led multinational military exercise taking place in Hawaii, calling it a "war rehearsal" that will trigger a "chain of countermeasures" from countries in the region.

The North's state media carried the criticism in an op-ed on the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), in which South Korea is leading the combined maritime component command this year as the first Asian country to do so.

"RIMPAC is not merely a routine exercise targeting a hypothetical adversary, but a blatant war rehearsal spearheaded by the U.S. and its followers to target regional states deemed primary obstacles to realizing its Asia-Pacific strategy," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

"The reckless behavior of these international hooligans is bound to trigger a chain of proportional countermeasures by regional countries to deter and manage the threat decisively," it said.

RIMPAC began June 24 and is set to run through July 31, bringing together more than 25,000 personnel from 31 countries, including Korea.

The KCNA noted the combined drills conducted by U.S. and Kore ...