North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered artillery brigades in the demilitarized zone to be put on full combat alert, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. The order, which was given to eight artillery brigades, notes the need for an immediate response to growing tensions with South Korea.

The decision comes amid accusations that South Korea violated North Korean sovereignty by using drones to drop propaganda leaflets over the North's capital, Pyongyang.

"A situation of serious military tension on the brink of war is being created due to South Korea's major provocative act of violating the sovereignty of our capital," — KCNA says.

The North Korean authorities regard these actions as a provocation and a threat to national security. In response, Kim Jong-un personally ordered to increase military readiness and be prepared to repel possible aggression. Experts note that such steps increase the likelihood of a direct military clash between the two countries, which have been in conflict since the division of the Korean Peninsula.