"This type of missile should be rapidly mass-produced in a serial way," Kim said as quoted by Yonhap news agency.

The North Korean leader supervised the launch of Pukguksong-2 missile and expressed satisfaction with its accuracy in hitting targets, according to the outlet citing the North Korean state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The ground-to-ground missile launched on Sunday reportedly flew some 500 kilometers (310 miles) before falling into the Sea of Japan short of reaching Japan’s exclusive economic zone.</s>SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean defense officials said on Monday that the missile the North launched on Sunday was a medium-range ballistic missile that cannot fly far enough to strike American military bases in Guam, as analysts had feared.

But the test of the ground-to-ground Pukguksong-2 missile appeared to have provided North Korea with meaningful data that it could use to advance its missile programs, they said.

The Pukguksong-2, first tested on Feb. 12, already represents key strides in the North’s missile technologies. The missile was fired on Sunday from a mobile launch vehicle. And unlike most North Korean missiles, it used solid fuel, rather than liquid.

These features mean that the missile can have its fuel already loaded before it is moved from a hiding place to a launching site and can be fired quickly, making it difficult for the North’s enemies to detect an attack.</s>After watching the launch of the new Pukguksong-2 missile, the North Korean dictator was reportedly satisfied with its accuracy and branded it a “successful strategic weapon”, according to state-run media outlet KCNA. After the second missile launch in less than a week, KCNA reported: "Saying with pride that the missile's rate of hits is very accurate and Pukguksong-2 is a successful strategic weapon, [Kim Jong-un] approved the deployment of this weapon system for action.

"Now that its tactical and technical data met the requirements of the party, this type of missile should be rapidly mass-produced in a serial way to arm the KPA Strategic Force.” The propaganda outlet added that the test "aimed to finally verify all the technical indexes of the weapon system and thoroughly examine its adaptability under various battle conditions, before its deployment at military units for action”.

The launch brought fresh condemnation from the US, South Korea and Japan, with the three countries jointly requesting an emergency UN Security Council meeting to discuss the matter. Seoul’s foreign ministry blasted the "reckless and irresponsible" missile launch, describing it as "throwing cold water on the hope and longing of the new government and the international community" for denuclearisation and peace on the Korean peninsula. Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe said the latest missile test by Pyongyang was "a snub and a challenge to international efforts for a peaceful resolution".

North Korea launched a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range missile on May 14, which reportedly flew almost 800km and was capable of carrying a "heavy" nuclear warhead. The test was seen as a significant step forward for Kim Jong-un’s plan to develop weapons capable of hitting the US mainland.

Donald Trump has pledged to place stronger economic and diplomatic sanctions on the hermit kingdom as it scrambles to build nuclear weapons. On Saturday, KCNA said: “Today the US mainland and the Pacific operational theatre are within the strike range of the DPRK and the DPRK has all kinds of powerful means for annihilating retaliatory strike.”</s>Seoul: North Korea said on Monday its latest missile launch was aimed at confirming the reliability of the late-stage guidance of the nuclear warhead, indicating further advances in the ability to hit US targets. It said it had been successful.

The North's KCNA news agency said leader Kim Jong-un supervised the test which also verified the functioning of the solid-fuel engine for the Pukguksong-2 missile and ordered it for deployment in field action.

The launch verified the reliability and accuracy of the solid-fuel engine's operation and stage separation and the late-stage guidance of the nuclear warhead which was recorded by a device mounted on the warhead, KCNA said.

"Viewing the images of the Earth being sent real-time from the camera mounted on the ballistic missile, Supreme leader Kim Jong-un said it feels grand to look at the Earth from the rocket we launched and the entire world looks so beautiful," KCNA said.

North Korea has defied all calls to rein in its nuclear and missile programs, even from China, its lone major ally, saying the weapons are needed for legitimate self-defence. The North last conducted a ballistic missile test a week ago.

"Saying with pride that the missile's rate of hits is very accurate and Pukguksong-2 is a successful strategic weapon, he approved the deployment of this weapon system for action," KCNA said, quoting leader Kim Jong-un.

The missile flew about 500 kilometres, reaching an altitude of 560 km, and landed in waters off the North's east coast, South Korea's military said on Sunday.

The reclusive state has been working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of striking the US mainland. On Saturday, it said it had developed the capability to strike the US mainland, although Western missile experts say the claim is exaggerated.

On Monday, KCNA said the latest test follows the successful test last week of another missile that has put Hawaii and Alaska within range.

Experts say solid fuel engines and mobile launchers make it more difficult to detect signs of launch preparations.

"For military purposes, solid-fueled missiles have the advantage that they have the fuel loaded in them and can be launched quickly after they are moved to a launch site," David Wright, co-director of the Global Security Program at the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists, said in a blog post.

"Building large solid missiles is difficult," he said, adding it took decades for major superpowers such as France and China to go from a medium-range missile to an intercontinental ballistic missile.

"So this is not something that will happen soon, but with time North Korea will be able to do it," Wright said.

An official travelling with US President Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia said the White House was aware of the latest launch and noted that the missile had a shorter range than the three previous missiles that North Korea had tested.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said economic and diplomatic pressure would continue to be applied to North Korea.

The two missile tests in a week complicate plans by South Korea's new President Moon Jae-in to seek ways to reduce tension on the peninsula.

Moon took office on May 10 after winning an election on a platform of a more moderate approach to the North, with which the South is still technically at war since no peace treaty was signed at the end of their 1950-1953 conflict.</s>Kim Jong-un has warned he is ready to mass-produce missiles capable of reaching US military bases after North Korea's latest test launch.

The dictator watched on as his Pukguksong-2 missile flew 310 miles and reached a height of 350 miles before plunging into the Pacific Ocean on Sunday.

Kim hailed the trial as a success, 'approved the deployment of this weapon system for action' and said that it should 'be rapidly mass-produced.'

US President Donald Trump, travelling in Saudi Arabia, had no immediate public comment.

The North Korean leader ordered the launch and watched from an observation post, state media reported Monday.

The Korea Central News Agency said the test verified technical aspects of the weapon system and examined its 'adaptability under various battle conditions' before it is deployed to military units.

North Korea has significantly accelerated its missile tests over the past year or so and appears to be making tangible progress toward developing an arsenal that poses a threat not only to South Korea and Japan - which together host about 80,000 U.S. troops - but also toward an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States.

It's moving ahead with its nuclear weapons program as well.

The North conducted two nuclear tests last year. It claims one was a hydrogen bomb and the other device created a more powerful explosion than any the North has previous tested. Satellite imagery suggests it could be ready to conduct its next test - which would be its sixth - at virtually any time.

Pyongyang's often-stated goal is to perfect a nuclear warhead that it can put on a missile capable of hitting Washington or other U.S. cities.

North Korea's media, meanwhile, have stepped up their calls for even more missile launches because of what Pyongyang claims is an increasingly hostile policy by President Donald Trump.

'The Trump administration would be well advised to lend an ear to the voices of concern that are heard from the U.S. and the international community,' the North's Minju Joson newspaper said in a commentary Sunday.

'Many more "Juche weapons" capable of striking the U.S. will be launched from this land. This is the DPRK's answer to the Trump administration.'

'Juche,' in this usage, refers to domestically produced and DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

In an interview with 'Fox News Sunday' U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the ongoing testing is 'disappointing' and 'disturbing.'

South Korea held a National Security Council meeting after the launch, and its Foreign Ministry said the launch 'throws cold water' on efforts to ease tensions on the peninsula.

At the request of diplomats from the U.S., Japan and South Korea, a United Nations' Security Council consultation on the missile test will take place Tuesday.

North Korea a week earlier had successfully tested a new midrange missile - the Hwasong 12 - that it said could carry a heavy nuclear warhead.

Experts said that rocket flew higher and for a longer time than any other missile previously tested by North Korea and represents another big advance toward a viable ICBM.

David Wright, an expert on North Korea's missiles and nuclear program who is with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the latest missile could have flown farther but was fired on a 'lofted' trajectory, which sends the missile high up so that it will land in the open seas rather than flying over or splashing down near neighboring countries.

He noted the Pukguksong-2's solid fuel is of particular concern.

Solid-fuel missiles have their fuel loaded in them before being moved into place, allowing them to be launched faster and with more secrecy.

Liquid-fuel missiles, on the other hand, are fueled at the launch site in a process that can last an hour and requires fueling and other vehicles. That makes then easier to spot and easier to destroy than the solid-fuel variety.</s>North Korea confirmed on Monday that it had "successfully" tested a solid-fuel ballistic missile that it claims is capable of reaching Japan and major U.S. military bases, according to state media.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch from an observation post and ordered it for deployment, according to state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Kim reportedly hailed the launch as a success and "approved the deployment of this weapon system for action" and said that it should "be rapidly mass-produced."

The launch marked the country's second missile test in a little more than a week as the country continues to defy orders for it to reign in its nuclear and missile program.

The new ground-to-ground missile, Pukguksong-2, flew about 310 miles and reached an altitude of about 350 miles on Sunday.

The test quiets aspirations of peace between North and South Korea. South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it strongly condemns the launch and urged North Korea to immediately stop any actions that violate U.N. Security Council resolutions.

President Donald Trump, currently in the midst of his first foreign trip as president, had no immediate public comment on the test.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called the country’s previous missile launch "disappointing" and "disturbing" in an interview on Sunday.

"The ongoing testing is disappointing, it's disturbing, and we ask that they cease that, because until they cease that testing, clearly they have not changed their view," Tillerson in an interview with FOX News Sunday. “But I think we're early into the game of putting pressure on them. And one could also interpret that perhaps they're just acting out now in response to some of this pressure that I believe they're beginning to feel."

ABC News' Joohee Cho and The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier on Monday media reported, that Pyongyang announced the successful launch of the intermediate-range ballistic missile.

“This type of missile should be rapidly mass-produced in a serial way,” Kim said as quoted by Yonhap news agency.

The North Korean leader supervised the launch of Pukguksong-2 missile and expressed satisfaction with its accuracy in hitting targets, according to the outlet citing the North Korean state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The ground-to-ground missile launched on Sunday reportedly flew some 500 kilometers (310 miles) before falling into the Sea of Japan short of reaching Japan’s exclusive economic zone.</s>CLOSE North Korea claims it has test launched and is ready to deploy a medium-to-long range ballistic missile that it calls an "answer" to President Trump's policies. It says the missile is capable of reaching Japan and major US military bases there. (May 22) AP

In this undated photo distributed by the North Korean government on May 22, 2017, a solid-fuel Pukguksong-2 missile lifts off during its launch test at an undisclosed location in North Korea. (Photo: AP)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Monday ordered mass production of a medium-range ballistic missile successfully tested a day earlier that is capable of reaching several U.S. bases in the region.

State-run KCNA news service said Kim ordered Sunday's test launch from an observation post and "expressed his great satisfaction" with the results.

"Saying with pride that the missile's rate of hits is very accurate and Pukguksong-2 is a successful strategic weapon, he approved the deployment of this weapon system for action," KCNA said.

David Wright, a senior scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, has been monitoring North Korea's missile development for decades and says Pyongyang's program is making alarming strides.

"They are showing more sophistication," Wright told USA TODAY. "We need to start a dialogue. We are simply running out of time."

Sunday's test came one week after Pyongyang successfully tested another type of missile that it boasted was capable of reaching the U.S. armed with a nuclear warhead.

The United Nations Security Council will hold a closed-door session Tuesday to discuss the test. France’s U.N. ambassador Francois Delattre said Pyongyang's behavior demands “a swift and firm reaction” from the Security Council, including tougher sanctions, the Associated Press reported. Last week, the Security Council "strongly condemned" Pyongyang's testing and urged members to fully implement stiff U.N. sanctions already in place.

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The test Sunday involved a medium-range ballistic missile that has a shorter range than others fired by the communist regime in recent months, the White House said. The path of the missile, which flew about 310 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan, was monitored by the South Korean military and the U.S. Pacific Command.

Wright said that based on trajectory the missile appeared to have a range of about 800 miles — perhaps sufficient to reach U.S. military installations across South Korea and Japan but not the U.S. territory of Guam. He said Pyongyang is developing two types of missiles — the solid-fuel Pukguksong-2 missile that can be fired from a mobile launcher and the liquid-fuel Hwasong-12, tested a week earlier, that involves a more complicated launch structure.

Pacific Command Cmdr. David Benham said an assessment of the tests revealed the launches did not pose a threat to North America. But he emphasized that U.S. officials were closely monitoring the tests and pledged "ironclad commitment" to allies in the region. Such language has become standard following a series of North Korean missile tests in recent months.

North Korea has been stepping up its missile testing, apparently attempting to develop a missile capable of reaching the United States. Kim has frequently expressed outrage at the U.S., most recently for massive military exercises conducted with South Korea and for U.S. deployment of an anti-missile system designed to counter the Pyongyang missile threat.

The Trump administration has pressed China, North Korea's closest ally, to rein in Pyongyang. Wright said he thinks Kim may be ready to make a deal, and the rush of tests in recent weeks is probably the North's effort to "make what progress they can before they freeze things."

Wright said President Trump brings "fresh eyes" to the conflict but also understands what previous presidents have learned: There is no realistic military option. North Korea is capable of causing major damage to South Korea and Japan in the event of war, Wright said.

"I think this guy (Kim) is rational, but he's unpredictable," Wright said. "Ramping up sanctions and working with China to get some sort of talks started is the only way forward."

Contributing: Gregory Korte

Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2qNvvlY</s>Authorities search for more info following deadly U.K. concert blast

Investigators are trying to establish whether a suicide bomber was working alone or as part of a network after a deadly explosion killed at least 22 people — including some children — following an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, northern England, police said early Tuesday. Thousands of terrified concert-goers ran for the exits as chaos unfolded after the blast at Manchester Arena, one of the largest concert venues in Europe. Greater Manchester Police are treating the incident as a terror attack and said the attacker was killed in the blast. Though nobody has claimed responsibility, a terrorism analyst from the Search International Terrorist Entities (SITE) Intelligence Group said that the Islamic State has celebrated the attack on social media.

Trump sends his first budget to Congress

President Trump is still busy on his first overseas trip as the leader of the free world, but one of the most important parts of his domestic agenda is unfolding back home. Trump sends his first budget proposal to Capitol Hill Tuesday, slashing everything from food assistance to health care. “If you’re on food stamps and you’re able-bodied, we need you to go to work,” White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said. “If you’re on disability insurance … and you’re not truly disabled, we need you to go back to work.” Critics argue the proposed budget would hurt the most vulnerable parts of the country’s population. Opposition to Trump’s budget is likely to be strong in Congress — and not just among Democrats.

The United Nations Security Council will hold a closed-door session Tuesday to discuss North Korea’s test of a medium-range ballistic missile over the weekend that is capable of reaching several U.S. bases in the region. State-run KCNA news service on Monday reported that leaderKim Jong Un ordered mass production and deployment of the Pukguksong-2 missile. The test came one week after Pyongyang successfully tested another type of missile that it boasted was capable of reaching the U.S. armed with a nuclear warhead.

People watch a screen showing news coverage of the Pukguksong-2 missile rocket launch at a public square in central Pyongyang May 22, 2017. This Korean war-era fighter jet is installed as a monument near the town of Hwacheon, May 21, 2017. People attend the 20th Pyongyang Spring International Trade Fair in Pyongyang, May 22, 2017. Countries participating in the fair include Belarus, China, Iran, Italy, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cuba This undated picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 22, 2017 shows North Korean ground-to-ground medium-to-long range strategic ballistic missile Pukguksong-2 being launched in a test-fire. North Korea declared its medium-range Pukguksong-2 missile ready for deployment after a weekend test, the latest step in its quest to defy UN sanctions and develop a weapon capable of striking US targets. People gather at a street-side newsstand in Pyongyang and read a copy of the Rodong Sinmun newspaper featuring coverage of a rocket test from May 14, 2017. in This is a test launch of the ground-to-ground medium long-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 at an undisclosed location. This picture taken on May 14, 2017 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency Women soldiers march across Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade on in Pyongyang, April 15, 2017, They were celebrating the 105th birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung, the country's late founder and grandfather of current ruler Kim Jong Un. An elderly man is silhouetted against a model of the Unha 3, a space launch vehicle, displayed at the Sci-Tech Complex in Pyongyang, April 17, 2017. Women soldiers march across Kim Il Sung Square during a military parade on in Pyongyang, April 15, 2017, They were celebrating the 105th birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung, the country's late founder and grandfather of current ruler Kim Jong Un. Boys play on the sidewalk along Changjon Street lined with tall residential buildings in April 19, 2017, in Pyongyang. Men and women walk along a residential area in Pyongyang, April 17, 2017. A woman is silhouetted against the sky as she exercises in Pyongyang, April 17, 2017. North Koreans sit at the back of a truck as it drives along Mirae Scientists Street in Pyongyang, April 19, 2017. A man rides his bicycle along the Taedong River bank in Pyongyang. A traffic police woman hands over her LED wand used to guide traffic, over to her colleague as they prepare to change shifts April 19, 2017, in Pyongyang. Women shelter from the rain under an umbrella in front of a shop in Pyongyang, April 14, 2017. A North Korean soldier uses his binoculars on the banks of the Yalu river near Sinuiju, opposite the Chinese border city of Dandong April 14, 2017. Schoolgirls attend a dance class at the Mangyongdae Children's Palace in Pyongyang, April 14, 2017. Amid rising regional tensions, Pyongyang residents have been preparing for North Korea's most important holiday: the 105th birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung, the country's late founder and grandfather of current ruler Kim Jong Un. People walk along the streets of downtown Pyongyang on a rainy evening, April 14, 2017. A commuter is seen through a tram window in Pyongyang April 14, 2017. Commuters walk up the stairs as a train leaves a subway station in Pyongyang April 14, 2017. A boy performs the zither at the Mangyondae School Children's Palace in Pyongyang, April 14, 2017. Students participate in a mass dance event to mark the occasion of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's election as chairman of the National Defense Committee in 1993, in Pyongyang on April 9, 2017. Mass dances are usually held to mark important dates and national holidays in the North Korean capital. Competitors run through Kim Il-Sung square during the Pyongyang Marathon April 9, 2017. The newly renovated Koryo hotel main lobby in Pyongyang on April 10, 2017. A North Korean traffic police officer is silhouetted as she directs traffic at the driveway of Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang on April 11, 2017. A staff member of the newly renovated Koryo hotel walks across its main lobby in Pyongyang on April 10, 2017. Boys jog at the end of a work day in Pyongyang on April 11, 2017. People on the street in Pyongyang on April 10, 2017. Workers leave an assembly area after rehearsals for celebrations ahead of the April 15 "Day of the Sun," a national holiday marking the birthday of the late Kim Il Sung, leader Kim Jong Un's grandfather and North Korea's "eternal president" April 10, 2017, in Pyongyang. A woman walks along the highway from downtown Pyongyang to Sunan International Airport on April 11, 2017. Men walk and some push their bicycles along a highway at the end of a work day in Pyongyang on April 11, 2017. A North Korean soldier looks at the south side while U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was visiting the border village of Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War, March 17, 2017. People ski at the Masik Pass Ski Resort in Wonsan, Feb. 11, 2017. People watch news footage of a missile launch on a giant television screen outside the main railway station in Pyongyang March 7, 2017. This undated picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on March 7, 2017 shows the launch of four ballistic missiles by the Korean People's Army during a military drill at an undisclosed location in North Korea. Kim Jong-Un supervives the launching of four ballistic missiles by the Korean People's Army during a military drill at an undisclosed location in North Korea. This photo was released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via on March 7, 2017. The representatives of diplomatic missions and international organizations plant memorial trees in downtown Pyongyang March 2, 2017. Pyongyang's new "Ryomyong Street" is to have the country's tallest apartment building, at 70 stories, along with a 50-story building and a handful of smaller ones in the 30-40 story range. A security guard stands in a courtyard of the Kim Jong-Suk textile mill following a snowfall in Pyongyang, Feb. 22, 2017. Two women walk outside a dormitory of the Kim Jong-Suk textile mill in Pyongyang Feb. 22, 2017. A worker pushes a trolley carrying buckets of silk-worm larvae at the Kim Jong Suk Silk Mill in Pyongyang Feb. 21, 2017. The Kim Jong Suk Silk Mill employs a workforce of 1,600 people, and is named after the grandmother of current North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. People watch a fireworks display as they visit an ice festival near the Taedong river, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the birth of Kim Jong-Il, in central Pyongyang Feb. 16, 2017. People look at a noticeboard after a fireworks display in front of Kim Il-Sung square as they visit an ice festival near the Taedong river, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the birth of Kim Jong-Il, in central Pyongyang, Feb. 16, 2017. A woman dressed in a traditional gown pays her respects at statues of late North Korean leaders, Kim Il Sung, left, and Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017. Unaware of reports his eldest son - and current leader Kim Jong Uns half-brother - was killed just days ago in what appears to have been a carefully planned assassination, North Koreans marked the birthday of late leader Kim Jong Il on Thursday as they do every year. Children with offerings walk toward statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il to pay tribute, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017. Residents sip hot tea at stalls set up as part of celebrations of the birth of the late leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017. Performers take part in a mass dance event on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the birth of Kim Jong-Il, in Pyongyang on Feb. 16, 2017. Two elderly men crouch on a smoke break in Pyongyang, Feb. 13, 2017. People walk down the street in Pyongyang, Feb. 12, 2017. A boy runs with the national flag along the Pyongyang-Wonsan highway in Wonsan, which is about 125 miles from the capital and is a port city located along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, Feb. 11, 2017. Children of the workers at the Suk Silk Mill sing and dance at a childcare center at the the mill in Pyongyang, Jan. 6, 2017. The mill, named after North Korean leader Kim Jong UnÕs grandmother, is where 1,600 workers _ mostly women _ sort and process silkworms which produce silk thread that officials at the Pyongyang factory say is made into roughly 200 tons of silk a year. This woman sorts silkworm cocoons to be boiled as part of the silk production process at the Kim Jong Suk Silk Mill in Pyongyang, Jan. 6, 2017. In his New Year's address, leader Kim Jong Un called for the people to step up production. Women sort out silkworm cocoons to be boiled at the Kim Jong Suk Silk Mill in Pyongyang, North Korea, Jan 6, 2017. Kim Jong-Un posing with the school students while visiting newly built Pyongyang Orphans' Primary School, Feb. 2, 2017. A man rides his electric bicycle along the Taedong River bank at the end of a work day in Pyongyang, Nov 6, 2017. This is a mass rally taking place at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, Jan. 5, 2017 A traffic police officer directs traffic on a road in Pyongyang Dec. 2, 2016 Believed to be hand-picked for their looks, Pyongyang's female traffic police are a familiar sight at intersections around the capital, where traffic volumes have noticeably increased in recent years. Pedestrians and cyclists are reflected in the Pothong River as they across a bridge at the start of their work day in Pyongyang, Jan. 6, 2017. North Korean honor guards watch as Choe Ryong Hae, vice chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission leaves for the departure gates at the Pyongyang Airport Jan. 6, 2017. Hae was headed to Nicaragua to attend the inauguration of their newly elected President Daniel Ortega. Kim Jong-Un at Fishery Station No. 15 of the Korean People's Army unit 549 Dec. 15, 2016. Baek Hyun-kyung is a tour guide at the Three Charters of National Reunification Monument where she works on the outskirts of Pyongyang Dec. 2, 2016. A member of North Korea's under-20 women's football team is welcomed back at Pyongyang airport after beating France to win the 2016 FIFA under-20 Women's World Cup Dec. 6, 2016. Kim Jong-Un at the Wonsan Shoes Factory in Kangwon Province in this photo released on Dec. 9, 2016. Korean People's Army (KPA) lieutenant and tour guide Hwang Myong-jin poses for a photo in front of a hut where negotiations for the Korean War armistice agreement were held in 1953, at Panmunjom near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea Nov. 30, 2016. Sailor Kim Il-Soo poses for a photo on a boat used to host wedding photo shoots on the Taedong river in Pyongyang Nov. 25, 2016. North Korean traffic police women chat next to a residential building while off duty Oct. 18, 2016, in Pyongyang. Kim Jong-Un interacting with people while inspecting the outpost on Kali Islet and the defence detachment on Jangjae Islet in the West Sea, Nov. 13, 2016. North Koreans walk past a residential building as they use an overhead bridge to cross a major intersection Oct. 18, 2016, in Pyongyang. North Koreans are seen in silhouette as they make their way across an intersection at the end of a work day Oct. 18, 2016, in Pyongyang. Azalea, whose Korean name is "Dalle", a 19-year-old female chimpanzee, smokes a cigarette at the Central Zoo in Pyongyang, North Korea Oct. 19, 2016. According to officials at the newly renovated zoo, which has become a favorite leisure spot in the North Korean capital since it was re-opened in July, the chimpanzee smokes about a pack a day. They insist, however, that she does not inhale. Students stretch following an under-14 training session at the Pyongyang International Football School in Pyongyang, Sept 22, 2016. A North Korean boy in his school uniform walks past a playground in a residential area on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, in Pyongyang, North Korea. Spectators cheer as parachutists perform an aerial display during the Wonsan International Friendship Air Festival, Sept 24, 2016. North Korean female MiG-21 fighter pilots Rim Sol, left, and Jo Kum Hyang, right, walk past a MiG-21 plane at the Wonsan International Friendship Air Festival, Sept 24, 2016. North Korean boys play in a fountain feature during a hot afternoon Sept. 23, 2016, in Pyongyang. Residents look up at a big screen TV in front of Pyongyang railway station showing television presenter Ri Chun-Hee officially announcing that the country successfully tested a nuclear warhead earlier in the day on Sept. 9, 2016. North Korea has successfully tested a nuclear warhead, it said which said the "maniacal recklessness" of young ruler Kim Jong-Un would lead to self-destruction. This is a national meeting to celebrate the 68th founding anniversary of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in Pyongyang, Sept. 9, 2016. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un while inspecting the Taedonggang Pig Farm in Pyongyang, Aug.18, 2016 A North Korean man gulps down a glass of draft beer during a beer drinking competition held Aug. 12, 2016 in Pyongyang. This competition was held during a beer festival along the Taedong River in the North Korean capital. A surface-to-surface medium long-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-10, also known by the name of Musudan missile, being launched at an undisclosed location, North Korea. According to South Korea and Japan's officials, North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile off its east coast early Aug 3, 2016. North Korean soldiers peep into a conference room in the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission Conference Building during a ceremony marking the 63rd anniversary of the signing of the Korean War ceasefire armistice agreement at the truce village of Panmunjom, South Korea. Military personnel stand during a rally at Kim Il Sung Square July 2, 2016, in Pyongyang. They were celebrating the new title of chairman of the new State Affairs Commission given to leader Kim Jong Un at a meeting of its national parliament. A missile is fired during a drill by Hwasong artillery units of the Strategic Force of the Korean People's Army, photo released on July 21, 2016 . North Korea said its latest ballistic missile tests trialled detonation devices for possible nuclear strikes on US targets in South Korea and were personally monitored by supreme leader Kim Jong-Un. Performers meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at an art performance staged by the amateur art groups of the Korean People's Army (KPA) units in Pyongyang July 16, 2016. A traffic police woman directs vehicles at a street junction in front of a sidewalk decorated with flags of the ruling party, the Workers' Party in Pyongyang, May, 5, 2016. North Koreans push their bicycles in the rain on a pathway along the Pothong River in Pyongyang. Taxis wait for passengers at the Pyongyang train station May 5, 2016. People ride the escalators at the Puhung metro station in Pyongyang, April 16, 2016. A woman carries a bag next to a board in Pyongyang suburbs April 17, 2016. A metro employee on board the newest cars at the Puhung metro station in Pyongyang, April, 13, 2016. They have one of the deepest metros in the world consisting of two lines with these recently added new cars. A live-shell firing drill by artillery sub-units under large combined units of the North Korean Army, is shown in this undated photo, under the simulated conditions of beating back enemy forces conducting a surprise night landing. The photo was released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 12, 2016. Kim Jong Un, left, Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, issues an order to conduct the ground jet test of a new type high-power engine of inter-continental ballistic rocket and comes to the Sohae Space Center to guide the test. A rocket is displayed during the Immortal Flower Festival 'Kimilsungia' in Pyongyang, North Korea on April 13, 2016. The country is preparing to mark the 'Day of the Sun' celebrating the day of birth of the country's founder, Kim Il-Sung. on April 15. Young women participate in a rehearsal ahead of the 'Day of the Sun' celebrations at Kim Il Sung Square on Wednesday, in Pyongyang. This is a view of the Pyongyang, North Korea skyline on April 12, 2016. Pyongyang Station is shown in late evening April 12th in Pyongyang,. An image of the operation of a new type large-caliber multiple rocket launching system at an undisclosed location in North Korea is released from KCNA on March 24, 2016. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has claimed an "historic" advance in the country's nuclear strike capability with the successful test of a solid-fuel rocket engine, state media said. A man cycles past the Kim Il Sung square on Wednesday, ahead of the 'Day of the Sun' celebrations in Pyongyang, North Korea. Young boys get the view of Pyongyang, North Korea from a bus window, April 12. Waitresses work on April 12, in a restaurant of the Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea. A tramway rides past the Pyongyang Station in Pyongyang, on April 12, 2016. A large mosaic representing Kim Il-Sung, left, and Kim Jong-Il in Pyongyang suburbs, North Korea is shown on April 12, 2016. An ethnic Korean U.S. citizen was sentenced to 10 years in jail for espionage. A worker unloads a bag of fertilizer from a conveyer belt at Hungnam Fertilizer Complex in Hungnam, South Hamgyong Province, North Korea, March 13, 2016. A shipbuilder works at the Hongwon Shipyard in Hongwon County, South Hamgyong Province, March 12, 2016. Newly manufactured shoes are seen at Wonsan Shoes Factory in the Kangwon Province, March 14, 2016. North Koreans are being mobilized en masse to boost production and demonstrate their loyalty to leader Kim Jong Un in a 70-day campaign aimed at wiping out "indolence and slackness." To show their loyalty, workers are putting in extra hours to boost production in everything from coal mining to fisheries. A North Korean soldier walks past a truck near goods piled up on a dockyard in Sinuiju, North Korea, March 14, 2016. North Koreans load goods on a dockyard with a Chinese and North Korean national flags in Sinuiju, North Korea, as seen from Dandong in northeastern China's Liaoning province, Feb. 26, 2016 . This undated photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 2, 2016 shows a missile test of a new-type anti-air guided weapon system at an unknown location. Kim Jong-Un inspecting the test of a new-type anti-air guided weapon system at an unknown location. photo released on April 2, 2016. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting the Plant under the Ryongsong Machine Complex in North Korea. A woman cycles with her child riding in a basket in Kaesong, Feb. 22, 2016. Korean People's Army Lt. Col. Nam Dong Ho is silhouetted against the truce village of Panmunjom at the Demilitarized Zone Feb. 22, 2016. The North Korea's women soccer team fills up custom forms in front of a globe structure as they prepare for departure to Beijing at Pyongyang's International Airport Feb. 23, 2016. Two people cycle past a planetarium at the Three Revolutions Exhibition Hall in Pyongyang, Feb. 23, 2016. A cashier prepares a receipt for customers at a local restaurant in Kaesong, Feb. 22, 2016. Solar panels hang from windows of an apartment building in Kaesong. Soldiers guard the truce village of Panmunjom at the Demilitarized Zone Feb. 22, 2016. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un attends a concert marking the 70th founding anniversary of the KPA military band in Pyongyang, in this photo released Feb, 23, 2016. A boy pushes a cart of cabbage along a main road in Hyangsan County, north of Pyongyang, Dec. 3, 2015. South Korean army soldiers close a gate in Paju, near the border with North and South Korea, Feb. 8, 2016. A North Korean woman walks down the streets of Pyongyang, Dec. 1, 2015. The 105-story pyramid-shaped Ryugyong Hotel towers over residential apartments and snow covered trees and fields in Pyongyang, Dec. 3, 2015. People ride in a boat in the Yalu River near Dandong, Feb. 9, 2016. North Korean soldiers patrol next to the border fence near the town of Sinuiju, Feb. 10, 2016. A man works on a boat on the banks of the Yalu River Feb. 10, 2016. The sun rises over the bridge on the banks of the Yalu River in the Chinese border town of Dandong opposite to the North Korean town of Sinuiju Feb.10, 2016. A man rides his bicycle in front of a portion of the Great Wall on Hwanggumpyong Island, located in the middle of the Yalu River between the North Korean town of Sinuiju and the Chinese town of Dandong Feb. 9, 2016. A man and his son on a boat on of the Yalu River at the town of Sinuiju across from the Chinese border town of Dandong Feb. 9, 2016. People and a truck embark a boat on the Yalu River near the town of Sinuiju across from the Chinese border town of Dandong Feb. 9, 2016. North Korean soldiers on the banks of the Yalu River at the town of Sinuiju, Feb. 8, 2016. North Korean soldiers stand at their watchtower as another walks on the banks of the Yalu River in the town of Sinuiju Feb. 8, 2016. A North Korean soldier smokes a cigarette on the banks of the Yalu River in the North Korean town of Sinuiju, in an image taken from across the river in the Chinese border town of Dandong Feb. 8, 2016. North Korean military personnel celebrate after North Korea said it had conducted a hydrogen bomb test, at the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, Jan. 8, 2016. A pair of North Korean soldiers walk through a field in Sakchu county, North Korea, Jan. 7, 2016. North Koreans clap in a rally, after North Korea said it had conducted a hydrogen bomb test, at the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, Jan. 8, 2016. A North Korean soldier looks across the border with China from his post in Sakchu county, North Korea, Jan. 7, 2016. North Korean veterans gather before the start of a parade in Pyongyang, North Korea. Leader Kim Jong Un declared that his country was ready to stand up to any threat posed by the United States as he spoke at a lavish military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the North's ruling party and trumpet his third-generation leadership, Oct. 10, 2015. A barbed wire fence at a military check point near the demilitarized zone which separates South and North Korea on Jan. 6, 2016 in Paju, South Korea. North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un watches a military firing contest in the photo released Jan, 5, 2016. Reports did not specify when Kim viewed the contest, but it is presumed to be his first military-related field guidance of 2016. North Koreans watch a news broadcast on a video screen outside a Railway Station in Pyongyang, North Korea, Jan. 6, 2016. Hyeon Soo Lim who pastors the Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Toronto, is escorted to his sentencing in Pyongyang, North Korea, Dec. 16, 2015. North Korea's Supreme Court sentenced him to life in prison with hard labor for what it called crimes against the state. Members of North Korea's Moranbong Band perform with the State Merited Chorus in Pyongyang, North Korea, Oct. 11, 2015, A North Korean soldier gathers straw in a field in Sinuiju, North Korea seen from across the border in Dandong in northeastern China's Liaoning province Jan. 6, 2016. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un accompanied by commanding officers of the Korean People's Army visit the Kumsusan Palace where his father Kim Jong-Il lies, Dec 17, 2015. A picture made available on October 25, 2015 shows a general view of Mount Kumgang covered in fog, on North Korea's east coast. This picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on November 8, 2015 shows Kim Jong-Un attending a photo session with military education officers. A North Korean traffic police woman directs vehicles at an intersection, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2015, in Pyongyang, North Korea, as residents commute at the end of the work day. This undated picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on September 14, 2015, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting the construction site of the Paektusan Hero Youth power station in Ryanggaung province. A picture released by the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the ruling North Korean Workers Party, on September 8, 2015 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (C, front) and Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez (2-R, front row), a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and first vice-president of the Council of State, watching an art performance by the Moranbong Band and the State Merited Chorus in Pyongyang, North Korea, on September 7, 2015. Bermudez led a Cuban delegation to North Korea to mark the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between North Korea and Cuba. This undated photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on September 5, 2015 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) at the Sinuiju Measuring Instrument Factory in North Pyongan Provice. In this Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015 photo, North Koreans read the public copy of a daily newspaper on the platform of a subway station in Pyongyang, North Kroea. A station officer waist for trains to arrive on the platform of a subway station in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015. Portaits of the late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung, left, and Kim Jong Il glow on the facade of a building as the Juche Tower, top left, one of the city's landmarks, is seen in the background at dawn in Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015. This undated picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on August 18, 2015 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (2nd L) visiting the Taedonggang Combined Fruit Farm in Pyongyang. In this Aug. 16, 2015 photo, people queue up at kiosk in Pyongyang, North Korea. Street stalls that offer North Koreans a place to spend - or make - money on everything from snow cones to DVDs are flourishing in Pyongyang and other North Korean cities, modest but growing forms of private commerce in a country where capitalism is officially anathema. A newlywed couple pose, during a photo shoot on Sijung Ho beach in North Korea, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015. The couple gathered with their friends and family members to have their pictures taken after their wedding ceremony. People dance during the celebration of the Liberation Day as the portrait of North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung, left, and Kim Jong Il are seen in the background at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015. Thousands of people take part in the celebration that commemorates the 17th anniversary of the liberation of the Koreas from Japanese colonial rule. North Korean soldiers watch as fireworks explode, Monday, July 27, 2015, in Pyongyang, North Korea as part of celebrations for the 62nd anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War. North Koreans bow in front of bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at Munsu Hill, Monday, July 27, 2015, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Koreans gathered to offer flowers and pay their respects to their late leaders as part of celebrations for the 62nd anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War. Staff wait at the check-in counters of the new international airport terminal building at Pyongyang airport, Wednesday, July 1, 2015, in Pyongyang, North Korea. The unveiling underscores an effort to attract more tourists and to spruce up the country ahead of the celebration of a major anniversary of the founding of its ruling Worker's Party in October this year. In this Saturday, June 27, 2015, photo, an Air Koryo plane sits on the tarmac in front of the new Pyongyang International Airport terminal building, in Pyongyang, North Korea. Air Koryo is the only carrier to have been awarded just one star in rankings released recently by the UK-based SkyTrax consultancy agency. Men and women pump their fists in the air and chant "Defend!" as they carry propaganda slogans calling for reunification of their country during the "Pyongyang Mass Rally on the Day of the Struggle Against the U.S.," attended by approximately 100,000 North Koreans to mark the 65th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War at the Kim Il Sung stadium, Thursday, June 25, 2015, in Pyongyang, North Korea. The month of June in North Korea is known as the "Struggle Against U.S. Imperialism Month" and it's a time for North Koreans to swarm to war museums, mobilize for gatherings denouncing the evils of the United States and join in a general, nationwide whipping up of the anti-American sentiment. In this June 24, 2015, photo, a farmer stands in front of a field in South Hwanghae, North Korea. There has been almost no rain in this part of the country, according to farmers and local officials interviewed by The Associated Press. While the situation in the area that the AP visited looks grim, it is unclear how severe the drought is in the rest of the country. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, center, visits the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun on April 15 to celebrate the 103rd birthday of his grandfather, the late president Kim Il-Sung, in Pyongyang. A national meeting is held on April 14 at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, center, inspecting Unit 1016 of Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force on March 10. North Korean workers plant seedlings in a field on Feb. 3 in Jaeryong, Hwanghae province. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un enjoys his Dec. 1 visit to an artillery unit at an undisclosed location. A state photo from December 5 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observing the North Korean military's winter training at an unknown location in North Korea. Soldiers and citizens rally at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, to protest a United Nations resolution condemning their country's human rights record Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014. Protesters at the rally Tuesday on the square carried banners praising their leaders and condemning the United States. The banner in the center reads: "Let's defend with our lives the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea headed by supreme leader Kim Jong Un." North Koreans gather in front of a portrait of their late leader Kim Il Sung, left, and Kim Jong Il, right, paying respects to their late leader Kim Jong Il, to mark the third anniversary of his death, Wednesday Dec. 17 at Pyong Chon District in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea marked the end of a three-year mourning period for the late leader Kim Jong Il on Wednesday, opening the way for his son, Kim Jong Un, to put a more personal stamp on the way the country is run. This picture taken by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on December 17 shows North Korean people offering prayers before portraits of late leaders Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il in Pyongyang for the third anniversary of late leader Kim Jong-Il. Kim Jong-Un applauds the participants in the second meeting of Korean People's Army (KPA) exemplary servicemen's families in Pyongyang in this handout image. This handout picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on December 9, 2014 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un holding up a boy as he joins a photo session with the participants in the second meeting of Korean People's Army exemplary servicemen's families in Pyongyang. An undated picture from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on December 5, 2014 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspecting the new year combat and political drill of the Korean People's Army North Koreans enjoy a ride at the Kaeson Youth Amusement Park Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014 in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) ORG XMIT: XWM110 North Koreans play shooting games in an arcade at the Kaeson Youth Amusement Park, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014 in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) ORG XMIT: XWM112 North Koreans enjoy a ride at the Kaeson Youth Amusement Park, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014 in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) ORG XMIT: XWM111 North Korean women wait for customers at a makeshift photo service stand, at the Kaeson Youth Amusement Park, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014 in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) ORG XMIT: XWM109 North Koreans enjoy a ride at the Kaeson Youth Amusement Park, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014 in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) ORG XMIT: XWM103 A portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jung Un posing with a North Korean gold medalist in Judo, An Kum Ae, decorates the walls of a local gymnasium, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014 in Pyongyang, North Korea. In just over a week, North Korea will send its top athletes to win gold for their leader in what could well be the biggest sporting event of their lives and a major propaganda campaign for their nation, the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.(AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) ORG XMIT: XWM110 North Korean athletes are seen mid-air as they practice on the trampoline, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014 in Pyongyang, North Korea. In just over a week, North Korea will send its top athletes to win gold for their leader in what could well be the biggest sporting event of their lives and a major propaganda campaign for their nation, the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.(AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) ORG XMIT: XWM106 A North Korean subway station staff waits for the arrival of a train, Monday, Sept. 1, 2014 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Foreign visitors are usually only allowed to take one to two stops, on Pyongyang's north-south Chollima subway line. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) ORG XMIT: XWM108 In this Friday, Aug. 29, 2014 photo, a North Korean boy arm wrestles with former NFL player Bob "The Beast" Sapp in Pyongyang, North Korea. In an oddball attempt at sports diplomacy with North Korea, a group of about 20 mixed martial artists from around the world, including former NFL player Bob ÃThe BeastÃ? Sapp, traveled to Pyongyang last week to engage in arm-wrestling and tug-of-war competitions with local children. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) ORG XMIT: ASIA501 This undated picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on August 15, 2014 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) inspecting a test firing of a newly developed high-performance tactical rocket at undisclosed place in North Korea. AFP PHOTO / KCNA via KNS REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PHOTO IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY AFP. ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTSKNS/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 532459509 North Koreans bow beneath portraits of the late leaders Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013. Across the capital city, North Koreans observed the second anniversary of the death of Kim Jong Il. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder) ORG XMIT: XDG113 North Koreans visit Mansu Hill to pay their respects at the base of statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung, left, and Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013, on the second anniversary of the death of Kim Jong Il. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT ORG XMIT: TOK818 This picture taken by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 16, 2013 shows soldiers offering flowers before the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il on Mansu hill for the second anniversary of demise of Kim Jong-Il. AFP PHOTO / KCNA via KNS REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PHOTO IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY AFP. ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTSKNS/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 525500524 In this image taken from video, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, attends an event to mark the second anniversary of the death of his father, former leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013. (AP Photo/KRT via AP Video) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT ORG XMIT: TOK815 In this image taken from video, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends an event to mark the second anniversary of the death of his father, former leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013. (AP Photo/KRT via AP Video) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT ORG XMIT: TOK810 In this image taken from video, North Korean military officials attend an event to mark the second anniversary of the death of former leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013. (AP Photo/KRT via AP Video) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT ORG XMIT: TOK812 This picture taken by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 16, 2013 shows people bowing their heads to pay tribute before the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il on Mansu hill for the second anniversary of demise of Kim Jong-Il. AFP PHOTO / KCNA via KNS REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PHOTO IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY AFP. ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTSKNS/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 525500519 This picture taken by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 16, 2013 shows people offering flower bouquets before the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il on Mansu hill for the second anniversary of demise of Kim Jong-Il. AFP PHOTO / KCNA via KNS REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PHOTO IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY AFP. ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTSKNS/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 525500542 As North Koreans arrive to pay their respects, women sweep the base of statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, right, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Monday, Dec. 16, 2013, the eve of the second anniversary of the death of Kim Jong Il. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder) ORG XMIT: XDG106 North Koreans lay flowers at the base of statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at Mansu Hill in Pyongyang, North Korea, Monday, Dec. 16, 2013, the eve of the second anniversary of the death of Kim Jong Il. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder) ORG XMIT: XDG103 This picture taken and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 16, 2013 shows North Korean soldiers gathered at Kumsusan memorial palace in support of their leader Kim Jong-Un in Pyongyang. Thousands of North Korean soldiers held a memorial rally on December 16, 2013 for the late father of leader Kim Jong-Un, days after the stunning execution of his uncle, according to state media. December 17, 2013 marks the second anniversary of the death of Kim Jong-Un's father, Kim Jong-Il. REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT AFP PHOTO / KCNA via KNS THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PHOTO IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY AFP. ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTSKNS/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 525487341 This picture taken and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 16, 2013 shows North Korean soldiers gathered at Kumsusan memorial palace in support of their leader Kim Jong-Un in Pyongyang. Thousands of North Korean soldiers held a memorial rally on December 16, 2013 for the late father of leader Kim Jong-Un, days after the stunning execution of his uncle, according to state media. December 17, 2013 marks the second anniversary of the death of Kim Jong-Un's father, Kim Jong-Il. REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT AFP PHOTO / KCNA via KNS THIS PICTURE WAS MADE AVAILABLE BY A THIRD PARTY. AFP CAN NOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, LOCATION, DATE AND CONTENT OF THIS IMAGE. THIS PHOTO IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY AFP. ---EDITORS NOTE--- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTSKNS/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 525487377 Jang Song-thaek is escorted in court on December 12, 2013. North Korea has executed him, the uncle of its leader Kim Jong Un, after a shock purge, state news agency KCNA announced early on Dec. 13, branding the once-powerful man a "traitor." A man watches a TV news program being shown at a railway station in Seoul. The report shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's uncle, Jang Song Thaek, second from right, being escorted by military officers during a trial in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013. In this image made from video, military vehicles parade during a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, July 27, 2013. Goose-stepping soldiers, columns of tanks and a broad array of ominous-looking missiles poised on mobile launchers were paraded through the streets of Pyongyang on Saturday in a painstakingly choreographed military pageant intended to strike fear into North Korea's adversaries and rally its people behind young ruler Kim Jong Un on the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War. (AP Photo/KRT via AP Video) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT ORG XMIT: TOK804 A North Korean soldier salutes from a tank during a military parade past Kim Il-Sung square marking the 60th anniversary of the Korean war armistice in Pyongyang on July 27, 2013. North Korea mounted its largest ever military parade on July 27 to mark the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War, displaying its long-range missiles at a ceremony presided over by leader Kim Jong-Un. AFP PHOTO / Ed JonesEd Jones/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 521662537 North Korean veterans of the Korean War wave to their leader Kim Jong Un during a mass military parade on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang to mark the 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice Saturday, July 27, 2013. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder) ORG XMIT: XDG115 North Koreans wave flags as walk with statues of former leaders Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il during a parade past Kim Il-Sung square marking the 60th anniversary of the Korean war armistice in Pyongyang on July 27, 2013. North Korea mounted its largest ever military parade on July 27 to mark the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War, displaying its long-range missiles at a ceremony presided over by leader Kim Jong-Un. AFP PHOTO / Ed JonesEd Jones/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 521663238 Parade participants carry the North Korean national flags, Saturday, July 27, 2013 during a mass military parade celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) ORG XMIT: XWM104 TOPSHOTS North Korean tanks pass through Kim Il-Sung square during a military parade marking the 60th anniversary of the Korean war armistice in Pyongyang on July 27, 2013. North Korea mounted its largest ever military parade on July 27 to mark the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War, displaying its long-range missiles at a ceremony presided over by leader Kim Jong-Un. AFP PHOTO / Ed JonesEd Jones/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 521665219 North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, right, is accompanied by Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao, center, and Ugandan Vice-President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekand as they greet spectators Saturday, July 27, 2013 during the mass military parade celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) ORG XMIT: XWM201 North Korean soldiers march during a military parade past Kim Il-Sung square marking the 60th anniversary of the Korean war armistice in Pyongyang on July 27, 2013. North Korea mounted its largest ever military parade on July 27 to mark the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War, displaying its long-range missiles at a ceremony presided over by leader Kim Jong-Un. AFP PHOTO / Ed JonesEd Jones/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 521662897 A North Korean soldier salutes while in a military tank as they parade through Kim Il Sung Sqaure, Saturday, July 27, 2013 during the mass military parade celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice in Pyongyang, North Korea.(AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) ORG XMIT: XWM116 North Korean soldiers march past the Kim Il Sung Square, Saturday, July 27, 2013 during the mass military parade celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice in Pyongyang, North Korea.(AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) ORG XMIT: XWM110 North Korean soldiers march during a military parade past Kim Il-Sung square marking the 60th anniversary of the Korean war armistice in Pyongyang on July 27, 2013. North Korea mounted its largest ever military parade on July 27 to mark the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War, displaying its long-range missiles at a ceremony presided over by leader Kim Jong-Un. AFP PHOTO / Ed JonesEd Jones/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 521663019 TOPSHOTS North Koreans wave flowers as they take part in a military parade past Kim Il-Sung square marking the 60th anniversary of the Korean war armistice in Pyongyang on July 27, 2013. North Korea mounted its largest ever military parade on July 27 to mark the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War, displaying its long-range missiles at a ceremony presided over by leader Kim Jong-Un. AFP PHOTO / Ed JonesEd Jones/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 521665234 North Koreans carry a portrait of former leader Kim Jong-Il as they take part in a military parade past Kim Il-Sung square marking the 60th anniversary of the Korean war armistice in Pyongyang on July 27, 2013. North Korea mounted its largest ever military parade on July 27 to mark the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War, displaying its long-range missiles at a ceremony presided over by leader Kim Jong-Un. AFP PHOTO / Ed JonesEd Jones/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 521663247 North Korean dancers parade through the Kim Il Sung Sqaure, Saturday, July 27, 2013 during a mass military parade celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War armistice in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) ORG XMIT: XWM112 A North Korean flag is displayed during an 'Arrirang' performance at the 150,000-seat Rungnado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang on July 26, 2013. Arrirang performances feature some 100,000 participants to create a 'synchronized socialist-realist spectacular in a 90 minute display of gymnastics, dance, acrobatics, and dramatic performance, in a highly politicized package' according to the China-based North Korean travel company Koryo Tours. North Korea is preparing to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War which ran from 1950 to 1953, with a series of performances, festivals, and cultural events culminating with a large military parade. AFP PHOTO / Ed JonesEd Jones/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 521655180 Participants holding coloured material watch for their cue as they perform during an 'Arrirang Festival mass games display' at the 150,000-seat Rungnado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang on July 26, 2013. Arrirang performances feature some 100,000 participants to create a 'synchronized socialist-realist spectacular in a 90 minute display of gymnastics, dance, acrobatics, and dramatic performance, in a highly politicized package' according to the China-based North Korean travel company Koryo Tours. North Korea is preparing to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War which ran from 1950 to 1953, with a series of performances, festivals, and cultural events culminating with a large military parade. AFP PHOTO / Ed JonesEd Jones/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 521655150 Dancers use hoops during an 'Arrirang' performance at the 150,000-seat Rungnado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang on July 26, 2013. Arrirang performances feature some 100,000 participants to create a 'synchronized socialist-realist spectacular in a 90 minute display of gymnastics, dance, acrobatics, and dramatic performance, in a highly politicized package' according to the China-based North Korean travel company Koryo Tours. North Korea is preparing to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War which ran from 1950 to 1953, with a series of performances, festivals, and cultural events culminating with a large military parade. AFP PHOTO / Ed JonesEd Jones/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 521655174 Dancers perform during an 'Arrirang Festival mass games display' at the 150,000-seat Rungnado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang on July 26, 2013. Arrirang performances feature some 100,000 participants to create a 'synchronized socialist-realist spectacular in a 90 minute display of gymnastics, dance, acrobatics, and dramatic performance, in a highly politicized package' according to the China-based North Korean travel company Koryo Tours. North Korea is preparing to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War which ran from 1950 to 1953, with a series of performances, festivals, and cultural events culminating with a large military parade. AFP PHOTO / Ed JonesEd Jones/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 521655160 Noth Korean army veterans watch an 'Arrirang Festival mass games display' at the 150,000-seat Rungnado May Day Stadiumin Pyongyang on July 26, 2013. Arrirang performances feature some 100,000 participants to create a 'synchronized socialist-realist spectacular in a 90 minute display of gymnastics, dance, acrobatics, and dramatic performance, in a highly politicized package' according to the China-based North Korean travel company Koryo Tours. North Korea is preparing to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War which ran from 1950 to 1953, with a series of performances, festivals, and cultural events culminating with a large military parade. TOPSHOTS AFP PHOTO / Ed JonesEd Jones/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 521658705 Fireworks explode above the Pyongyaang skyline during a display to mark the 60th anniversary of the Korean war armistice agreement, in Pyongyang on July 27, 2013. North Korea mounted its largest ever military parade to mark the 60th anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War, displaying its long-range missiles at a ceremony presided over by leader Kim Jong-Un. AFP PHOTO / Ed JonesEd Jones/AFP/Getty Images ORIG FILE ID: 521669383 North Korean soldiers walk along a road in front of the truce village of Panmunjom at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). North Korean pedestrians and bicyclists pass by a billboard for Pyeonghwa Motors, North Korea's car manufacturer, on a highway on the outskirts of Pyongyang. North Koreans stand to applaud during the opening night of the "Arirang" mass games performance at Pyongyang's May Day Stadium on July 22, 2013. This year's performance was timed to debut for the 60th anniversary of the end of the Korean War. At dusk, the setting sunlight is reflected on the Taedong River in Pyongyang, North Korea on July 21, 2013. Thousands of North Koreans turn colored cards to create an image of the Unha-3 rocket that North Korea successfully launched in December of 2012 during the Arirang mass games. A North Korean soldier sits inside a room where the armistice agreement at Panmunjom inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). North Koreas ride bicycles in the rain along the Taedong River bank in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korean soldiers walk on a highway near the North Korean city of Kaesong. North Korean nurses sing and play the accordion while children dance during an event to start a campaign to give Vitamin A supplements and deworming pills to children at a nursery school in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Child Health Day, Monday, May 20, 2013. UNICEF and North Korean government agencies are collaborating in the campaign to assist 1.7 million children across the country under the age of five. North Korean nurses give Vitamin A supplements and deworming pills to children dressed in their best outfits at an elite nursery school in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Koreans pass by the outer wall of a construction site where a propaganda billboard depicts the launch of North Korean rockets in Pyongyang, North Korea. The billboard reads: "Lets open up an era to a strong economic country." North Koreans play a board game inside a sauna at the Haedanghwa Health Complex in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday, May 19, 2013. The newly opened complex houses a cooking school, multiple banquet rooms, swimming and wading pools, a billiards room and other spa and recreational facilities. Wearing gym-provided workout clothing, North Koreans rest near the gym at the Haedanghwa Health Complex in Pyongyang, North Korea. Portraits of the late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung, left, and Kim Jong Il hang on the outside of a building in central Pyongyang, North Korea, on Saturday, May 18, 2013. North Korean soldiers and civilians pose for photos April 25 as they tour the grounds of Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the mausoleum in Pyongyang where the bodies of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie embalmed. Last month, North Korea marked the 81st anniversary of the founding of its military, which began as an anti-Japanese militia and now has an estimated 1.2 million troops. North Korean soldiers tour the park surrounding Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. North Korean army Col. Kim Chang Jun stands behind field binoculars on a hilltop overlooking the Demilitarized Zone, south of Kaesong, North Korea, on April 24. A boy walks along a path in front of a village south of Kaesong, North Korea. A North Korean boy rides in a bicycle basket on a road north of Kaesong, North Korea. A North Korean boy on rollerblades is pulled by a woman on a bicycle on a road south of Kaesong, North Korea and north of the demilitarized zone which separates the two Koreas. A North Korean man checks his bicycle next to a propaganda billboard in Kaesong, North Korea. North Korean soldiers ride in the top of a military truck on a road in Kaesong, North Korea. For weeks, North Korea has threatened to attack the U.S. and South Korea for holding joint military drills and for supporting U.N. sanctions. Washington and Seoul officials said they've seen no evidence that Pyongyang is actually preparing for a major conflict, though South Korean defense officials said the North appears prepared to test-fire a medium-range missile. North Korean farmers work in a field inside the Demilitarized Zone at Panmunjom, North Korea. A North Korean traffic policeman stands at an intersection in Kaesong, North Korea on April 23. North Korean children walk in front of an apartment block in Kaesong, North Korea. North Korean soldiers stand on steps overlooking the border village of Panmunjom, North Korea. A painting, depicting North Korean soldiers ambushing and killing U.S. troops hangs on a gallery wall at an art exhibition Friday in Pyongyang. A North Korean boy practices his lines -- "Our country is the greatest in the world" -- as he is filmed by a local television crew at an exhibition of traditional calligraphy in Pyongyang. North Korean children perform in front of an image of weapons and bayonetsat Mangyongdae Children's Palace in Pyongyang. A guide stands in a waiting room at Mangyongdae Children's Palace in Pyongyang. Portraits in the background show North Korea's late leaders Kim Il Sung, left, and Kim Jong Il. Children work at easels during a drawing class at Mangyongdae Children's Palace. A North Korean soldier plows a field on the outskirts of Pyongyang. A North Korean soldier walks through a parking lot as workers paint a building block across the street in Pyongyang. A North Korean soldier guarding the entrance to Pyongyang's Kumsusan mausoleum, where the bodies of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie embalmed, looks back through the doors of the main gate Monday, April 15, 2013. North Koreans turned out on Monday to mark the 101st birthday of Kim Il Sung. A North Korean man misses the turn and loses control of his go cart on a track at the Fun Fair in Pyongyang on Tuesday, April 16, 2013. A North Korean child covers the eyes of her father as she sits on his shoulders watching mass folk dancing in front of Pyongyang Indoor Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea. Oblivious to international tensions over a possible North Korean missile launch, Pyongyang residents spilled into the streets Monday to celebrate a major national holiday, the birthday of their first leader, Kim Il Sung. Marathon runners pass by a long row of North Korean soldiers as they cross a bridge in Pyongyang on Sunday, April 14, 2013. North Korea hosted the 26th Mangyongdae Prize Marathon to mark the April 15, 2013 birthday of the late leader Kim Il Sung. A North Korean woman walks past the outer wall of a construction site where a propaganda billboard depicting the launch of North Korean rockets in Pyongyang, North Korea. The billboard reads: "Lets open up an era to a strong economic country." North Korean children hold up red scarves to be tied around their necks during an induction ceremony into the Korean Children's Union, the first political organization for North Koreans, held at a stadium in Pyongyang on Friday, April 12, 2013. North Koreans dance together beneath a mosaic painting of the late leader Kim Il Sung during a mass folk dancing gathering in Pyongyang Thursday, April 11, 2013, to mark the anniversary of the first of many titles of power given to leader Kim Jong Un after the death of his father Kim Jong Il. A North Korean man pushes a bicycle up a hill on the outskirts of Pyongyang. North Korean children carrying brooms walk on a sidewalk in Pyongyang on their way to help tidy up the area around bronze statues of the late leaders as the capital city prepares to mark the April 15 birthday of its founder Kim Il Sung. A North Korean soldier passes by roadside propaganda depicting a North Korean soldier killing a U.S. soldier in Pyongyang. The poster reads in Korean "Life or Death Battle. Merciless Punishment to U.S. Imperialists and Puppet Traitors." An apartment block stands among the buildings at dawn in central Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday, April 10, 2013. Reflected in the airport building glass, passengers disembark from North Korea's Air Koryo flight as they arrive at the Pyongyang International airport on Tuesday, April 9, 2013. North Korean soldiers march through Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, on March 16. Two North Korean boys hop a ride on the back of a city tram March 14 to cross a bridge in Pyongyang. North Koreans select apples and oranges, imported from China, at a supermarket in Pyongyang on March 13. A North Korean soldier works at a computer terminal under portraits of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il inside the Grand People's Study House in Pyongyang on March 12. A bus is covered in camouflage netting in a parking lot of a building in Pyongyang on March 9. A children's pop-up book, displayed by a teacher March 9 at at Kaeson Kindergarten in Pyongyang, depicts a U.S. soldier killing a Korean woman with a hatchet. For North Koreans, the systematic indoctrination of anti-Americanism starts as early as kindergarten. A North Korean girl readies a toy gun that fires rubber corks as she and others play a shooting game at a carnival March 8 at a park in Pyongyang. A Mercedes rides along a street in central Pyongyang. The U.N. Security Council responded swiftly to North Korea's Feb. 12 nuclear test by punishing the reclusive regime Thursday with new sanctions that target the communist nation's economy and leadership. Pyongyang responded with the threat of a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the United States. An image depicting a female North Korean soldier leading an attack is projected on a screen behind performers during a concert in Pyongyang marking International Women's Day. The text at the top of the screen reads, "We are the General's female coastal artillery troops." North Koreans rally March 7 at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang in support of a government statement Tuesday that vowed to cancel the 1953 cease-fire that ended the Korean War. The statement also boasted of North Korea's ownership of "lighter and smaller nukes" and its ability to execute "surgical strikes" meant to unify the divided Korean Peninsula. North Koreans carry bundles on their backs as they cross a frozen lake north of the capital city of Pyongyang on Feb. 24. A North Korean woman sings karaoke at the Hyangsan Hotel at the foot of Mount Myohyang on Feb. 23. North Koreans cross a railroad bridge over a riverbed south of Mount Myohyang, and north of the capital city of Pyongyang. A nurse looks out of a window at a neighborhood health clinic in Pyongyang. A North Korean man stands next to a tractor and wagon on the edge of a snow-covered field near the village of Ryongsan-ri, south of Pyongyang. Well-wishers wave flower bouquets as buses carrying North Korean nuclear scientists and other officials pass by in Pyongyang. Scientists and other officials involved in the North's underground nuclear test on Feb. 12 arrived in the capital city Feb. 20 to a celebration. A North Korean portrait photographer instructs soldiers to pose for a picture under a mosaic of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at an exhibition in Pyongyang on Feb. 17, where Kimjongilia flowers, named after Kim Jong Il, were on display. A North Korean woman, with a fake Kalashnikov rifle used in a theatrical performance, stands in front of the Pyongyang Grand Theatre waiting for a ride. Soldiers ride an escalator past a model of their country's Unha Rocket as they enter an exhibition in Pyongyang. A musical performance is held in Pyongyang with the words "Let's strike the imperialists mercilessly with the same success we had carrying out the 3rd nuclear test" projected on a screen. Female North Korean traffic officers gather in Pyongyang near bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il to commemorate what would have been the 71st birthday of Kim Jong Il, who died Dec. 17, 2011. Children play with the camera of an Associated Press photographer as people gather in front of bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang on Feb. 16. Soldiers lay flowers at the base of bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. Offerings of flowers are lined up as North Koreans bow in front of bronze statues of their late leaders. Pedestrians pass under a bridge in Pyongyang on Feb. 15. Cameramen use an elevated boom camera, left, and a older film camera to cover the opening ceremony of a figure skating exhibition in Pyongyang. North Koreans watch the opening ceremonies of a figure skating exhibition in Pyongyang. Hanging in the arena is a banner with the word "Peace" in English and Korean. Synchronized swimmers perform at an exhibition in Pyongyang. The exhibition was one of the events commemorating what would have been Kim Jong Il's 71st birthday. A poster showing a model of North Korea's Unha-3 Rocket hangs in the lobby of a hotel in Pyongyang in Feb. North Korea is upgrading one of its two major missile launch sites, apparently to handle much larger rockets. North Koreans stand before a roadside mosaic of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il to pay their respects to the dead leaders. Kim Jong Il died in 2011, Kim Il Sung in 1994.

A pair of astronauts aboard the International Space Station will don their spacesuits Tuesday morning to replace a data relay box that failed over the weekend. The box is one of two on the station that controls solar arrays, radiators, cooling loops and other functions, NASA said. A backup unit is working and the station’s five-person crew is not in danger, but NASA said it ordered the repair to protect against a failure of the backup. Tackling the two-hour job will be Peggy Whitson – who will be making her 10th spacewalk, tying the record for most by a U.S. astronaut – and Jack Fischer. It’s scheduled to begin around 8 a.m. ET.

Former South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s corruption trial begins Tuesday, where she faces charges of extortion, bribery and abuse of power that could send her to jail for life. Park, 65, was arrested March 31, weeks after she was removed from office. She was impeached in December on charges which included her receiving millions of dollars in bribes from businesses. Park, the daughter of former South Korean President Park Chung-hee, was the first female president of South Korea.</s>South Korea, however, stated after the DPRK launch that the MRBM, with a range of no more than 1,500 miles, is not able to reach the closest US territory of Guam, some 2,200 miles away.

The mid-Pacific Ocean island of Guam is used by the US as a staging platform and refueling depot for long-range bombing missions and other East-Asian military operations.

Officials in Seoul asserted that DPRK claims about the range of its missile test were false.

"It's believed to be an MRBM in terms of the flight distance when launched at a normal angle," said Army spokesman Colonel Roh Jae-cheon, according to Yonhap.

The test on Sunday was identified as a solid-fuel Pukguksong-2 MRBM missile, and during its flight it rose to an altitude of some 350 miles and traveled over 300 miles down range, before falling into the East China Sea.

Pyongyang's state-run KCNA media claimed that the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, was personally involved in the event.

"Saying with pride that the missile's rate of hits is very accurate and Pukguksong-2 is a successful strategic weapon, he approved the deployment of this weapon system for action," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, cited by Yonhap.

South Korean military officials, backed by weapons experts around the globe, caution that DPRK missile technology, while advancing rapidly, is not as accurate or powerful as Pyongyang has claimed, citing repeated launch failures and atmospheric reentry incapability.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency reports the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, has approved deployment of the Pukguksong-2 intermediate-range ballistic missile, and ordered mass production of the system. The United Nations Security Council will hold a closed-door session Tuesday to discuss the test.