Washington, July 24, 2010, SPA --The United States on Friday criticized North Korea’s threats of a “physical response” to U.S.-South Korean military exercises, urging Pyongyang not to increase tensions on the peninsula. “It would be unwise,” State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said of Pyongyang’s threatened response. “North Korea would be better served by reflecting on the current situation, not taking any further aggressive actions or provocative steps.” Pyongyang’s threat came during regional security talks in Vietnam, where U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton renewed U.S. calls for North Korea to return to past international agreements to abandon its nuclear weapons. “If that happens, then diplomatic opportunities could potentially open up,” Crowley told reporters. “But we certainly don’t think it would be fruitful for North Korea to increase tensions in the region at this point.” --SPA 14:48 LOCAL TIME 11:48 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/804640