North Korea has a message for its neighbor to the south: Hold friendly naval drills with the U.S., and you can expect a nuclear response.

The communist country said on Saturday that the drills between the U.S. and South Korea would prompt a “retaliatory sacred war,” and that they’d respond with “powerful nuclear deterrence.”

In the past, North Korea has threatened war when the two countries have held joint military drills. But the newest warning comes as Asian leaders met in Vietnam this past week for a regional security forum.

The meeting focused largely on North Korea’s alleged sinking of a South Korean warship, the Cheonan, in March. The incident, which killed 46 sailors, has been an increasing source of tension between the two Koreas.

Pyongyang has denied any involvement.

The North’s National Defense Commission, headed by Kim Jong Il, called the joint exercises “unpardonable.”

“The army and people of the (North) will legitimately counter with their powerful nuclear deterrence the largest-ever nuclear war exercises,” the commission said in a prepared statement.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who attended the security forum, said on Friday it was “distressing” that North Korea keeps issuing threats. She said the joint naval maneuvers would take place as planned.

On Wednesday, Clinton said the U.S. would impose new sanctions on North Korea to penalize the country for the Cheonan sinking and suppress any nuclear plans the country might have.

The U.S. and South Korea have said the exercises are meant to show force and to discourage North Korean aggression. It will involve the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, 20 additional ships and submarines, 100 jets and 8,000 personnel.

The North said that they see the weekend’s plan as a direct threat to the country.

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“And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.” Matthew 24:6

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