Kim Jong-Un: North Korea Must Be Combat Ready

The North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un, has urged his army to be combat ready ahead of a joint United States-South Korea military exercise.

In a speech to his party’s Central Military Commission, the enigmatic leader said forces should be "fully ready to react to any form of war to be ignited by the enemy," according to state media.

The official KCNA news agency reported the Commission had also discussed a "radical turn" in national defence operations, but did not give further details.

It follows a North Korean military drill – which was personally overseen by Mr Kim – which simulated an attack on a South Korean island.

Seoul has said it will "keep a close watch" on its neighbour.

A spokesman said: "North Korea should stop taking issue with the joint military exercises, which are defensive and held annually in a transparent way."

The United States and South Korea are due to carry out their drills next month.

Operation Key Resolve is a computer-simulated exercise which plays out war-time scenarios that could result from a North Korean invasion of the South, while Operation Foal Eagle is a two-month air, sea and land field-training drill.

Seoul and Washington maintain they are defensive, but Pyongyang has condemned them in the past as rehearsals for an invasion.

North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests in the last seven years, and has recently threatened a fourth over tensions caused by new US sanctions.

Since Kim Jong-Un took power of the insular nation in 2011, he has filled the top ranks of the military with officers loyal to his leadership.