North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said that his country will retaliate against a nuclear attack with its own nuclear weapons.

The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said on Thursday that Kim made the remark the day before as he conveyed words of encouragement to members of a Missile General Bureau unit that took part in Monday’s test-firing of the Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile.

While meeting with the soldiers at the head office of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, Kim said the military activity the unit carried out was a demonstration of the North’s fidelity and the strength of its military force.

The leader assessed that the latest launch provided a clear explanation of the country’s nuclear strategy and its response doctrine under which Pyongyang will not hesitate to launch nuclear attacks if faced with a nuclear provocation by the enemy.

He then stressed that the true defense capacity to safeguard peace comes from the ability to preemptively attack any enemy as well as military preparedness.