"North Korea is beefing up its iron-fist rule, including the latest purge of its spy chief, and pushing its people into working hard to minimize impacts from international sanctions," it said.

"In that process, North Korea's human rights abuses will get more serious."

In January, the North's leader dismissed Kim Won-hong, the head of the country's spy agency, on suspected abuse of power and executed some officials following surveillance conducted by the ruling party, the ministry said on Feb. 3.

The spy chief is known to have spearheaded the move to execute Jang Song-thaek in December 2013, the once-powerful uncle of the North's young leader.

Since taking office in late 2011, North Korea's leader has ordered the execution of more than 100 military, party and government officials, according to Seoul's intelligence agency.

He said in his New Year's address that the country has entered the final stage of its preparations to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Pyongyang fired off a new intermediate-range ballistic missile, called Pukguksong-2, on Sunday from an air base in the country's northwestern province toward waters off its east coast. The missile, launched at a high angle, flew about 500 kilometers.

The latest move marked the first provocation by North Korea since U.S. President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20.

"We need to strengthen cooperation with relevant countries and brace for an aggravated security situation by taking into account the possibility that the North Korean leader makes erratic decisions and the Trump administration responding in a hard-line manner towards Pyongyang," the report said. (Yonhap)