The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will further increase its "war deterrent" because of the US hostile policy, the official Rodong Sinmun daily said Tuesday.

The United States has been reinforcing the armed forces in South Korea and constantly playing war games on the Korean peninsula, constituting "a test offensive operation for mounting a preemptive attack on the DPRK," a commentary carried by the Rodong Sinmun said.

The DPRK has to bolster the "war deterrent" as long as the US "imperialist warmongers" continue pursuing the policy of stifling the DPRK, the commentary said, without elaborating.

Pyongyang has suspended the disablement of its nuclear facilities at Yongbyon amid disputes over the verification of a nuclear declaration between the DPRK and the United States.

(Xinhua News Agency September 17, 2008)