BERMAN: All right. New tensions this morning in the Korean Peninsula with the North Korea threatening a, quote, "preemptive and offensive nuclear strike." This as the United States and South Korea begin their annual joint military training exercises. CNN's Paula Hancocks following these developments. She is live in Seoul, in South Korea. Paula, you know, what's the threat exactly and what's the reaction?</s>PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, this is what North Korea has done in the past and it has now done it again, threatening Washington and Seoul with nuclear war. Now it does come at a time when tensions are already high on the Korean Peninsula. Today is the first day of those massive joint military drills between the United States and South Korea. They are the largest ever, we're told. 300,000 South Korean soldiers, 17,000 U.S. soldiers. There'll be drills on land, by sea and in the air. They are significantly larger than last year. And this is what North Korea sees as a dress rehearsal for an invasion. But the U.S. and South Korea said they are defensive in nature. They happen every year. They are just so that the allies can work well together. And of course this comes after January. You had a nuclear test from North Korea in February. You had a satellite launch which everyone thought was a long-range missile test. And then just last week, you had those U.N. sanctions against North Korea, the strongest sanctions in two decades -- John.</s>BERMAN: All right. Paula Hancocks monitoring the developments for us. Always interesting to see what the North Koreans threaten and what they actually do and what is behind it all. Thanks so much, Paula. All right. The Democratic debate on CNN last night in Flint. A new tone to be sure. New urgency just a couple of days away from the key Michigan primary. We'll tell you what changed after this faceoff. That's next.
North Korea Threatens Preemptive Nuclear Strike