North Korea tested a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone designed to destroy naval vessels and ports, it said Friday. North Korea's military said it conducted the test in the country's eastern waters in response to naval drills by the U.S., South Korea and Japan which ended Wednesday. The underwater drone is among a broad range of weapon systems North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un continues to test and develop as he expands his arsenal of nuclear-capable weapons. "Our army's underwater nuke-based countering posture is being further rounded off and its various maritime and underwater responsive actions will continue to deter the hostile military maneuvers of the navies of the U.S. and its allies," North Korea's Defense Ministry said in a statement. It added: "We strongly denounce the U.S. and its followers for their reckless acts of seriously threatening the security of (North Korea) from the outset of the year and sternly warn them of the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by them."

Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg weighs in on North Korea's long-range ballistic missile launch and China's belligerence toward Taiwan on'Your World.' North Korean leader Kim Jong Un set new goals for the country's military at the Sixth Enlarged Plenary Meeting of the party's 8th Central Committee as tensions continue to escalate on the Korean Peninsula. Kim told party leaders that North Korea faces a "newly created challenging situation" on the Korean Peninsula and set the direction for the "anti-enemy struggle," the country's state media reported Wednesday, according to Reuters. "He specified the principles of foreign affairs and the direction of the struggle against the enemy that our party and government must thoroughly abide by in order to protect sovereign rights and defend national interests," the KCNA news agency said in the report. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea. To accomplish those goals, KCNA said Kim called for a "strengthening self-defensive capabilities to be strongly pursued in 2023," though the report did not offer specific details on what the increased military build up would look like. The dictator's remarks come amid rising tensions between the isolated country and its neighbors South Korea and Japan, which have both pushed for a stronger military in response to an unprecedented amount of missile tests conducted by North Korea.

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. President Joe Biden is devoting his Saturday to cementing ties with South Korea and its new leader Yoon Suk Yeol as the two sides consult on how best to check the nuclear threat from North Korea at a time when there's little hope of real diplomacy on the matter. The division of the Korean peninsula after World War II has led to two radically different nations. In South Korea, Biden is touring factories for computer chips and next-generation autos in a democracy and engaging in talks for greater cooperation.

His stark warning came at a time when the US and North Korea remain on heightened alert amid spiraling tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Earlier this week, both sides degenerated to open threats, demonstrating readiness to use coercive force if provoked to do so. Whereas the US said it may rely on strategic bombers to hit North Korean targets, the Asian nation's military announced that a plan of striking the American airbase in Guam will be ready soon. Adding fuel to the crisis, President Donald Trump said the US military assets are "locked and loaded" in case if Pyongyang misbehaves. The heated exchange – coupled by saber-rattling – has revived the threat of war on the Korean Peninsula, with many speculating on its impact on global affairs.

SEOUL/UNITED NATIONS – The American-led U.N. command on Saturday dismissed accusations from North Korea that U.S. troops at a border village tried to provoke its front-line troops with "disgusting acts." A North Korean military statement Friday warned U.S. soldiers to stop what it called "hooliganism" at Panmunjom or they will meet a "dog's death any time and any place." It said U.S. troops pointed their fingers at North Korean soldiers and made strange noises and unspecified "disgusting" facial expressions. It also said American troops encouraged South Korean soldiers to aim their guns at the North. Christopher Bush, a spokesman for the U.N. command, said it had looked into the allegations and determined they were unsubstantiated.