The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will "take necessary, tough measures" in face of the conspiracy by the United States and South Korea to incite war in the Korean Peninsula, its official KCNA news agency reported yesterday.

The United States and South Korea claimed recently that the two countries will be prepared for potential "drastic changes" in the DPRK, a move the DPRK considers an "unacceptable provocation," said a spokesman of the Committee for the Peaceful Unification of the Fatherland.

The statement, made on Oct. 17 during an annual US-South Korean security meeting in Washington, was "a claim of all-round confrontation," said the spokesman.

The DPRK will not just "stand by" as the military conference was held to choke off the DPRK's military capability despite new signs of peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula, he said.

The United States removed the DPRK from its list of terrorism-sponsoring states early this month after the two sides reached an agreement on verification measures over the latter's nuclear program.

The spokesman said the United States and South Korea should recognize the possible dire consequences of the meeting and should instead act more scrupulously.

According to the KCNA, issues discussed by US and South Korean officials during the Washington meeting included strengthening "common defense," US nuclear protection of South Korea, as well as sending additional US troops to South Korea incase of an emergency in the peninsula.