More than 1.4 million young people have volunteered to join or rejoin the North Korean army in response to alleged drone incursions by South Korea, state-run media claimed Wednesday.

North Korea has put its border artillery units on standby after angrily claiming that South Korea has conducted drone operations in the night skies over its capital, Pyongyang.

The North Korean government detonated explosives on cross-border roads connecting its country to South Korea in response to drone incursions in Pyongyang.

Times Asia Editor Andrew Salmon has the full story, reporting from Seoul that the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un went public on Friday with complaints that drones had dropped leaflets on the city three times this month. Photos released by state media appeared to show a flying wing-style drone and stacks of apparent propaganda leaflets.

North Korea has accused South Korea of flying drones into its capital, ratcheting up tensions that have been simmering for months. The drones allegedly scattered propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang in what the North described as a provocation that could lead to "armed conflict and even war".

The sister of North Korea's leader, Kim Yo-jong, accused South Korea on Tuesday of violating Pyongyang's airspace with drones. She stated that Pyongyang has "clear evidence" of the South Korean military's guilt and threatened to "turn South Korea to ashes" if drones appear again.

The sister of North Korea's leader, Kim Yo-jong, accused South Korea on Tuesday of violating the airspace over Pyongyang with drones. She stated that Pyongyang has "clear evidence" of the South Korean military's guilt.