North Korea threatens to attack South Korean presidential house

Seoul, March 23 North Korea on Wednesday threatened to attack the Blue House, the official residence of South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

In a statement, posted on North Korean website Uriminzokkiri, the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said: "From this moment, the North's army and revolutionary forces will push for a retaliatory war to eliminate the US and Park's followers in the name of justice."

The committee warned this was no empty threat, although it has made several such threats in the past too, without following it up with any attacks.

It also warned Pyongyang is running out of patience with the "reckless" provocations by South Korea and the US, in reference to the joint military manoeuvers being carried out by the allies in South Korean territory since early March, and which will continue till end April.

As part of these exercises, the largest ever conducted in the Korean Peninsula with more than 17,000 US and 300,000 South Korean troops, the two countries began a joint navy drill that includes the participation of a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier on Tuesday.

North Korea, which considers these joint military exercises "invasion drills," has responded with threats of pre-emptive strikes and launched several short and medium range missiles, including one on Monday.