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On the eve of the birthday of national founder Kim Il Sung, the DPRK has escalated its war rhetoric. A senior official said Pyongyang will increase the country's nuclear force and prepare for an all-out war against the United States.

Kim Yong Nam, Chairman, Presidium of DPRK Assembly, said, "We will make our military forces invincible with our ideology and bolster in quality and quantity the nuclear force, which is the nation's life and national treasure for a united Korea. We have to prepare for an all-out war against the US, so that we are ready to enter a state of war."

The comments came as statues of Kim Il Sung and his son, Kim Jong Il, were unveiled with much ceremony in a Pyongyang square. Thousands of soldiers and officials attended the event.

Monday is the 101st anniversary of Kim Il Sung's birth, who is revered as the country's founder. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high as the DPRK has warned it has weapons on standby and would be prepared to strike if provoked by the US and South Korea. On Sunday, the DPRK rejected South Korea's proposal to resolve tensions through dialogue.