North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country would not hesitate to launch a nuclear attack if an enemy provokes it with nuclear weapons.
Mr Kim made the remark as he met with soldiers working for the military's missile bureau and congratulated them over Pyongyang's recent launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), KCNA news agency said.
Mr Kim said the test demonstrated the loyalty and strong stand of the armed forces and was a clear example of "the evolution of the nuclear strategy and doctrine of the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) not to hesitate even a nuclear attack when the enemy provoke it with nukes," KCNA reported.
North Korea said it had tested its newest ICBM on Monday to gauge the war readiness of its nuclear forces against mounting US hostility.
Top diplomats from the United States, South Korea and Japan issued a joint statement condemning North Korea's recent ballistic missile launches and urged the North Korean government to engage in "substantive dialogue without preconditions".
Mr Kim said the launch showed the military's high mobility and rapid attack capability, and called for efforts to further strengthen its combat efficiency.
In a separate statement, Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, condemned the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for holding a meeting over the ICBM launch, saying it was an exercise of the country's right to self-defence.
"The UNSC should place heavy responsibility on the irresponsible behaviour and act of the US and the ROK (Republic of Korea), which have aggravated the tension on the Korean peninsula through all sorts of military provocations all year round," she said.
The United States, South Korea and Japan staged a joint air drill involving a US strategic bomber near the Korean Peninsula, the latest strategic asset to be deployed as part of a US pledge with Seoul to boost defence readiness.
