North Korea's Kim guides artillery firing drill, KCNA says

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided an artillery firing drill by the Korean People's Army, the country's military force, on Thursday, state media KCNA reported on Friday.

The drill involved units that are in firing range of "the enemy's capital," the state media said, referring to Seoul, the South Korean capital and added it "fulfilled important military missions for war deterrence."

Thursday's artillery drill was aimed at increasing combat readiness posture and actual war capability, KCNA said.

Kim urged to push forward with preparations so the artillery sub-units could "take the initiative with merciless and rapid strikes at the moment of their entry into an actual war."

"He stressed the need to train all the artillerymen of the whole army into experts in artillery engagement ... and set forth important tasks for rounding off the artillery war preparations," the report said, referring to the leader of the reclusive state.

The move comes as the South Korean and U.S. militaries kicked off their spring drills known as the Freedom Shield exercises on Monday with twice the number of troops joining compared to last year.

Seoul's defence minister, Shin Won-sik, visited the Capital Defense Command on Thursday and ordered a firm response if North Korea made provocations aimed at the capital.

Earlier this week, the North Korean state media said Kim inspected field training of troops at a major military operations base in the western region of the country.