North Korea: Kim Jong Un calls on army to be ready for any provocations

(Patria) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for the army to be ready to respond to any enemy provocation, state media reported on Friday, after Pyongyang promised to deploy stronger armed forces and new weapons on the border with South Korea, Reuters reported.

Visiting the Air Force headquarters on Thursday to mark the country's Aviators' Day, Kim presented operational strategic guidelines for improving military readiness and combat capabilities, the KCNA news agency reported.

After the visit, pilots performed an air show, it was stated.

"(Kim) highly praised the pilots' firm readiness to carry out air combat missions without problems, regardless of any unfavorable settings," KCNA reported.

North Korea successfully launched its first reconnaissance satellite last week, which it said was designed to monitor the military movements of the United States and South Korea.

The US and its allies have condemned the launch as a violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions. Pyongyang has said it will launch more satellites, calling it a right to self-defense.