Pyongyang Orders Nuclear Weapons to be Placed on Alert

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly ordered all of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons to be placed on full alert, citing the need to be ready "at any time."

The announcement came as Kim Jong-un attended a test-firing of a new multiple rocket launcher, urging the military to "promptly" deploy the weapons system that can hit major military targets in South Korea.

According to the Korean Central News Agency, North Korea will also revise its military posture to address threats on a "pre-emptive basis."

The move comes just one day after the United Nations placed harsh new sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear tests earlier this year. The harshest in 20 years, the penalties also address Pyongyang's recent satellite launch, which the UN deemed a veiled attempt to demonstrate the DPRK's long-range ballistic missile capabilities.

In response to those sanctions, North Korea launched a series of short-range missiles into the East Sea on Wednesday.

The announcement comes ahead of joint military drills to be conducted by the United States and South Korea which are meant to simulate an invasion of the DPRK.