North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un (C) waves at the end of a major military parade to mark 100 years since the birth of the country's founder and his grandfather, Kim Il-Sung, in Pyongyang on April 15, 2012. (Photo: Pedro Ugarte/AFP/Getty Images)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea is vowing a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the United States.
The harsh rhetoric Thursday comes hours ahead of a vote by U.N. diplomats on whether to level new sanctions against Pyongyang for its recent nuclear test.
An unidentified spokesman for Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry said the North will exercise its right for "pre-emptive nuclear strikes on the headquarters of the aggressors" because Washington is pushing to start a nuclear war against the North.
Such inflammatory rhetoric is common from North Korea. But it has been coming regularly in recent days.
North Korea is angry over the possible sanctions and over upcoming U.S.-South Korean military drills.
USA Today