North Korea has long used the anniversary of the start of the Korean War to lash out at Washington. On Sunday, North Koreans gathered in the capital to mark the 73rd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War, with mass rallies vowing a "war of revenge" against the United States. According to state media, some 120,000 people took part in rallies held across Pyongyang, where participants were seen holding placards with slogans such as "The whole U.S. mainland is within our shooting range" and "The imperialist U.S. is the destroyer of peace."

The anniversary came amid concerns that North Korea may soon launch another attempt to launch its first military spy satellite, which ended in failure earlier this year. Nuclear-armed North Korea has been testing various weapons including its biggest intercontinental ballistic missile, heightening tensions with the South and its main ally, the United States. In a separate foreign ministry report, North Korea accused the U.S. of "making desperate efforts to ignite a nuclear war" and sending strategic assets to the region.

The Korean War, which lasted from 1950-53, ended with a ceasefire, not a peace treaty, leaving North and South Korea technically at war. North Korea has used the anniversary of the start of the Korean War to express hostility towards Washington. The country's latest statement is just one more example of the long-standing tensions between the two countries.