The army massed at the border; Order issued: Respond to any provocation

The army massed at the border; Order issued: Respond to any provocation

The news was announced today by North Korean state media, after Pyongyang announced that it will deploy stronger armed forces and new weapons along the border with South Korea.

During a visit to North Korea's Air Force Command on Air Force Day on Thursday, Kim presented guidelines for improving the military's combat capabilities, the KCNA news agency reported.

Kim outlined operational and tactical measures to counter what it said was "any military provocation and threat of the enemy immediately and forcefully," according to KCNA, Reuters reported.

The North Korean leader then attended an air force demonstration flight.

Photos released by state media show Kim and his daughter, both dressed in long leather jackets, watching the plane take off. Kim praised the air force for what he called "full readiness to carry out the combat mission" under all conditions.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have risen since North Korea launched a military satellite into orbit last month, prompting South Korea to suspend a key clause in the 2018 inter-Korean military accord. Pyongyang has since announced that it is no longer bound by the agreement. The United States and its allies strongly condemned the launch of North Korea's first military satellite into orbit as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. However, Pyongyang has announced that it will launch more military satellites. On Thursday, the US imposed new sanctions on North Korea over its satellite launch.

South Korea has also imposed sanctions on North Korea.