The plan is to “mercilessly” strike key South Korean and US targets such as air bases,the military said.
North Korea has fired an additional six missiles off its eastern and western coasts,South Korea has said.
With its economy ravaged by UN sanctions and the pandemic,cryptocurrency theft has become an increasingly vital source of foreign currency for North Korea.
The North’s government has shunned vaccines offered by the UN-backed COVAX distribution program,possibly because those have monitoring requirements.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed “firm will” to continue developing his nuclear-armed military.
It represents a major escalation of North Korea’s development of weapons potentially able to deliver nuclear warheads anywhere in the US.
American missile defence forces in the Pacific have been placed in a state of “enhanced readiness”,while Kim John-un says he wants to expand his “space ambitions”.
The resumption of weapons tests following a month-long hiatus during the Winter Olympics and comes as the United States and its allies are focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
South Korea says this month’s flurry of missile tests is reminiscent of the heightened tensions in 2017,when North Korea conducted multiple nuclear tests.
The border crossing,which is illegal in South Korea,came as North Korea carries out strict anti-coronavirus measures.
Analysts said North Korea’s leader couldn’t risk unveiling expensive missile programs this year while food shortages are so dire.