An F-35B stealth fighter from U.S. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 242 takes off from an air base in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, on South Korea's west coast, as South Korea and the United States kicked off joint air drills, in this undated photo released by the South Korean Air Force on Nov. 1. Yonhap

North Korea on Wednesday said the U.S. and South Korea will pay a terrible price should they decide to attack the North, arguing the allies' ongoing joint military drills are aimed at preparing for a potential invasion.

Pak Jong-chon, secretary of the Central Committee of the North's ruling Workers' Party, also called on Seoul and Washington to halt what he claimed to be military provocation against Pyongyang.

"If the U.S. and South Korea attempt to use armed forces against the DPRK without any fear, the special means of the DPRK's armed forces will carry out their strategic mission without delay and the U.S. and South Korea will have to face a terrible case and pay the most horrible price in history," the North Korean official said in a statement carried by the country's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.
"It should be noted that in the present situation, it is a big mistake to accept this as a threat warning only," Pak added, according to KCNA.

The statement comes as Seoul and Washington are holding combined air drills, called Vigilant Storm.