North Korea called on its military to show strong allegiance to leader Kim Jong-un as the country celebrated the 84th anniversary of the Korean People's Army creation on Monday.

The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, said in its commentary that the country should establish the one-man leadership more firmly as it celebrates the key anniversary of its armed forces.

"There will be no enemy forces that can stand against the KPA, as our military is equipped with outstanding tactics and striking means and capable of staging nuclear attacks," the newspaper said.

The anniversary came amid growing speculation that North Korea may carry out another nuclear test or launch a medium or long-range missile ahead of the ruling party's key congress slated for early May.

The Workers' Party of Korea plans to hold the first congress in more than three decades in early May where the North will likely affirm the leader's tighter grip on power.

North Korea is pushing its people to work harder under the so-called "70-day campaign of loyalty," so as to highlight the country's accomplishments ahead of the party event.

Pyongyang has boosted its bellicose rhetoric against Seoul and Washington since early March in an apparent show of defiance against stronger U.N. sanctions against the North.

On Saturday, the North fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile in waters off its northeast coast, drawing international condemnation.

Last month, it test-fired what looked like an intermediate-range Musudan ballistic missile, though this launch ended in complete failure.

North Korea warned Sunday that if Seoul and Washington continue to stage what it calls nuclear provocations to hurt its leadership, the country's army will "launch a preemptive strike of severest punishment in the sky, land, seas and underwater." (Yonhap)