North Korea on Monday hinted at additional provocations by vowing that it will continue to take nuclear deterrent steps against the US' hard-line policy toward it.

"Our army and people will continuously bolster up our nuclear deterrent for self defense down the road under the conditions that high-level US government officials adamantly stick to their hostile policy toward us," the Rodong Sinmun, a daily of the ruling Workers' Party, said in a commentary titled "The Root of Intensification of Tension on the Korean Peninsula." 

The possession of strong nuclear weapons is "the only way" to ultimately put North Korea-US relations in order and "absolute collateral" for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, the paper said.

Asserting that the cause which intensifies tension on the peninsula lies in South Korea-US joint military drills, the paper said the United States is the very main culprit of provocations and threats that is carrying out exercises against the North day and night.

The paper also claimed that the firing of a new intermediate-range ballistic missile, called Pukguksong-2, on Feb. 12 and four ballistic missiles on March 6 were steps to fight "constant US invasion intimidations." (Yonhap)