North Korea

According to Pyongyang's the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim made the remarks in a reply to Xi's earlier letter that offered congratulations on the North's 73rd founding anniversary, where the Chinese leader said he intends to "develop these ties of friendship and cooperation on a long-term basis and in a stable way", Yonhap News Agency reported.

In a statement, Kim Yo-jong however said that Pyongyang is willing to discuss improving inter-Korean relations if Seoul ceases to be hostile towards it, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted the chief of the Foreign News Section of the Department of Press and Information of the Foreign Ministry as saying that the US decision was "extremely undesirable and dangerous acts which will upset the strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific region and trigger off a chain of nuclear arms race"

State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters on Wednesday that the US condemns the North Korea missile launches, Xinhua news agency reported. He noted, "these missile launches are in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions ... they pose a threat to North Korea's neighbors and other members of the international community."

"Our position has not changed when it comes to North Korea," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One. "We remain prepared to engage in diplomacy with the North Korea toward our objective of a complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula," Xinhua news agency quoted her as saying.

In a press statement published by the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim Yong Chol, department director of Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), said: "As we have already clarified, we will make them realise by the minute what a dangerous choice they made and what a serious security crisis they will face because of their wrong choice."

According to the report by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim made the remarks while when chairing a workshop for military commanders and political cadres in here on July 24-27. "Commanders and political officers should focus all efforts on completing preparations for actively and offensively coping with any military provocation of enemies," Kim was quoted as saying.