North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has pledged a "bigger gift package to the Yankees" as the US flies nuclear-capable B-1B bombers in a show of strength amid the escalating situation in the Korean peninsula region.

Claiming the latest ballistic missile test conducted on Monday (29 May) was highly accurate, the rogue leader yet again promised his country will not stand undefended against the threats from the US.

Pyongyang has asserted that the latest launch of the projectile, an improvised version of Scud missile, which the country calls as "Hwasong", will take the hermit kingdom another step closer to its goal of acquiring capabilities to strike the US.

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Expressing satisfaction over the new high-precision guidance system and quick launch process of the modified missile, Kim praised the developers and compared the weapon to a "sniper's rifle" for its capabilities.

"He expressed the conviction that it would make a greater leap forward in this spirit to send a bigger 'gift package' to the Yankees," Kim was quoted in a report carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"The ballistic rocket flew toward the east sky where the day broke and correctly hit a planned target point with [a] deviation of seven meters after flying over the middle shooting range," added the dispatch.

Hours after the North Korean missile launch, the US forces flew B-1B strategic bombers, which originated from the US base of Guam. The bombers flew over the Korean skies, and were flanked by warplanes from the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson stationed in the region and South Korean fighter jets.

North Korea missile launch
Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch of modified Scud missile and praised the weapon's accuracy KCNA via Reuters

Heaping scorn on the US's decision, Pyongyang said the formation of B-1B bombers shows Washington's rehearsal for dropping a nuclear bomb on the country. "The US imperialist warmongers should not forget even a moment that their increasing danger of a nuclear war on the Korean peninsula would precipitate a disaster which the US mainland turns into a scorched-earth," said the KCNA.

The situation in the Korean peninsula has worsened in recent months, with the North defiantly launching ballistic missiles in quick successions. The US has condemned Pyongyang's acts and has vowed to respond if the provocations continue.