North Korea army vows 'merciless' response to US provocation

North Korea's army on Friday vowed a 'merciless' response to any US provocation, as tensions soar over Pyongyang's nuclear programme and speculation mounts that it is preparing a fresh weapons test.

Pyongyang's rogue atomic ambitions have come into sharp focus in recent weeks, with United States President Donald Trump vowing a tough stance against the North and threatening unilateral action if China failed to help curb its neighbour's nuclear programme. As hostilities in the region surge Trump has sent an aircraft carrier-led strike group to the Korean peninsula to press his point, while the North has launched a flurry of rockets.