North Korea's Kim Jong-un watches women in military drills

The images broadcast on North Korean state television KRT show the country's supreme leader taking a keen interest as the artillery unit fired a multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) at an undisclosed location in the secretive state.

It comes weeks after North Korea said it was "close to the brink of war" with South Korea and warned Britain to stay out of the fight after the UK announced it would take part in joint military drills with South Korea and the US.

North and South Korea have technically been at war since their last conflict ended in 1953 without a peace treaty.