North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has firmly warned to respond to US threats with nuclear weapons amid Washington’s ramped-up military activities in the region, including joint exercises with Seoul and Tokyo.

Tensions have flared between the two Koreas over the source of a COVID-19 contagion in the North, with the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un accusing the South of having caused the outbreak in her country and warning of "deadly retaliation."

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says his country is fully ready to use nuclear weapons in any military confrontation with the United States and South Korea, amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called a meeting with his senior military officials to discuss national defense policies and plans for further arms buildup, amid escalating tensions with the United States and South Korea over Pyongyang's recent missile tests.

The North Korean leader says the spread of the COVID has plunged the country into "great turmoil," calling for an all-out battle to overcome the crisis.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has once again warned that his country would preemptively use nuclear weapons if threatened.

North Korea is holding a series of events this week to mark the 10th anniversary of its leader Kim Jong-un's rise to power, as part of efforts to extol his leadership in the face of Western sanctions.