Millions of young men and women volunteer to join North Korean army amid tensions

Millions of young men and women have volunteered to serve in the North Korean army amid the ongoing tensions with its neighbours and the US, warned Pyongyang's state media. At least 4.7 million students and state workers are claimed to have stepped forward in joining the military.

North Korea has been escalating tensions both within and outside the Korean peninsula with its repeated missile launches and rhetoric. The war of words between the Kim Jong-un regime and Donald Trump administration has accelerated in recent weeks.

Amid the worsening situation, North Korea's leading state media outlet Rodong Sinmun carried a reprot on Thursday, 28 September, saying millions of workers and students have enlisted in the army following the command of the Supreme Leader Kim.

About 1.2 million women have volunteered to fight for the reclusive nation, said the mouthpiece.

This is not the first time the North has used such propaganda measures to domestically drumming up support for the leadership. Pyongyang made a similar assertion on purported military volunteers in August 2016 shortly after the UN Security Council's condemnation of its missile launches.

The latest claim comes after a series of warnings issued by the US president, urging the North to scale down its weapons programme. Trump had promised the rogue regime would face "devastating" military action if it pushes the limits.