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South Korea has also been condemned by Pyongyang for its part in the 10-day military exercise, with North Korea labelling it as reckless behaviour driving the situation into the uncontrollable phase of a nuclear war".

Around 17,500 US troops are expected to take part in the exercise, yet most will only be involved in the computer simulation aspect.

State media in the hermit nation said: "The joint exercise is the most explicit expression of hostility against us, and no one can guarantee that the exercise won't evolve into actual fighting."

It added: If the United States is lost in a fantasy that war on the peninsula is at somebody else's doorstep far away from them across the Pacific, it is far more mistaken than ever."

Russia and China had tried to broker a deal which would see a pause on military exercises in exchange for a freeze on Pyongyangs missile tests, but the US has claimed their drills are defensive in nature.

Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, added military drills were "not currently on the table as part of the negotiation at any level.

The upcoming drills are part of two annual war games held every year involving a large number of troops.

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Japan's Ground Self Defense Force Type 90 tanks (front) and U.S. Marine Corps LAV-25 Light Armoured Vehicles take part in their joint exercise, named Northern Viper 17

South Korea typically deploys 50,000 troops while the US pour in between 25,000 to 30,000 solidiers, with exercises typically involving land, sea and air simulation.

Held in South Korea, the two sets of troops practiced drills for chemical and terror attacks last year.

Although defended by the US and South Korea as defensive drills, North Korea claim they are training for an invasion.

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As the drills went on last year, North Korea carried out ballistic missile testing sparking fears something similar may happen again.

And amid heightened tensions between the two nations, which saw Donald Trump promising to unleash fire and fury on Pyongyang, this years drills come at a particular delicate time.

North Korea had responded with a threat to strike the US territory of Guam in mid-August, further ratcheting up World War 3 tensions.

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US and South Korea 'push North Korea closer to WW3' by carrying out tests TODAY - Express.co.uk