(VOVworld) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has warned of a "very serious" situation on the Korean peninsula, where a surge in military tensions have seen the two Koreas trade artillery fire and Pyongyang threaten a new nuclear test.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Photo: AFP)

In a meeting with top military leaders on Tuesday in Mount Paektu, Kim blamed Washington and Seoul for the current tensions, saying they had trampled on peace and goodwill as expressed from Pyongyang. Kim Jong-Un stressed that the North Korean military and people would never tolerate the US’s hostility and destroy it thoroughly.

Kim’s warning came amid escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula, following Pyongyang’s strong response to South Korean-US joint military exercises. South Korea fired hundreds of artillery shells into North Korean waters in response to North Korea’s live-fire drills on Monday. Earlier, on March 26th, North Korea launched two Rodong medium-range ballistic missiles following a series of short-range rocket firings. Pyongyang threatened to carry out a new program of nuclear tests if the US continues to pursue hostile actions against Pyongyang.