SEOUL: North Korea said on Thursday it’s prepared to counter US military moves with the most overwhelming nuclear force as it warned that the expansion of the US’ military exercises with rival South Korea. The statement by Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry came in response to comments by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who said that the US would increase its deployment of advanced military assets. In a statement by unidentified spokesperson of its Foreign Ministry, North Korea said the expansion of the allies’ drills is threatening to turn the Korean Peninsula into a huge war arsenal and a more critical war zone. “The military and political situation has reached an extreme red line due to the reckless military confrontational maneuvers and hostile acts of the US,” the spokesperson said.