N. Korea leader briefed on Guam missile plan: KCNA

[SEOUL] North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has been briefed on a plan to fire missiles near Guam, home to US air and naval bases, Pyongyang's state media said Tuesday.

Kim "examined the plan for a long time" and "discussed it" with commanding officers on Monday during his inspection of the command of the Strategic Force in charge of the North's missile units, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

North Korea's military said last week that it would finalise by mid-August its detailed plan to test-fire four intermediate-range ballistic missiles in an "enveloping fire" around Guam and report it to its leader for approval.

Tensions have been mounting since the North tested two intercontinental ballistic missile tests last month, which appeared to bring much of the US within range.

Responding to the tests, US President Donald Trump warned Pyongyang of "fire and fury like the world has never seen".

The North in turn threatened to test-fire its missiles towards the US Pacific island of Guam.

The war of words has sparked global alarm, with world leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping urging calm on both sides.

South Korean President Moon Jae-In also waded in on Monday, calling for calm in the standoff with North Korea, saying there should never be another war on the peninsula.

AFP