North Korean leader Kim Jong-un rode a horse on Mount Baekdu in what may be an ominous warning as the year-end deadline he announced for the United States to make a new proposal in stalled nuclear talks draws near.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) on Wednesday published multiple photos of Kim atop a white steed accompanied by his wife Ri Sol-ju and others.

The KCNA said Kim visited Mount Baekdu in remembrance of the founders of the North Korean state and emphasized the need to teach the new generation of the ruling Workers' Party about the revolutionary tradition of the mountain.

Mount Baekdu is considered a sacred place as it symbolizes the North’s founding family. 

State media have in the past publicized visits to the region by Kim ahead of major provocations or announcements.

His latest trip comes as Pyongyang and Washington appear to be ratcheting up pressure on each other in order to extract concessions before the year ends.

[Photo : YONHAP News]