North Korea slammed a recent test of a "Minuteman III" intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM) by the United States and pledged to continue military activities to enhance the regime's strategic safety.

An article by a military commentator carried by the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) said on Friday that the country's armed forces are eager to immediately, overwhelmingly and decisively respond to indiscriminate provocations by "war maniacs."

Such a response would be the fulfillment of the constitutional duty to defend national sovereignty, territorial security and the rights and interests of the people.

While falsely claiming that the test launch failed, Pyongyang vowed to reinforce deterrence on the Korean Peninsula and in the surrounding region with a continuance of military activities for its strategic safety.

It added that the military’s counteraction stance in response to nuclear threats of any kind is unchangeable, irrespective of the type of nuclear force the U.S. may attempt to deploy against the regime.

On Tuesday, the U.S. test-launched an unarmed Minuteman III from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California with a South Korean delegation led by deputy defense minister for policy Heo Tae-keun in attendance for the first observation by a group from Seoul in seven years.

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