South Korea's Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn warned North Korea Tuesday that it would face "strong measures" different from the past should it press ahead with another provocation.

Hwang made the remarks amid growing concerns that the communist state could conduct a nuclear test or an intercontinental ballistic missile launch to mark the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People's Army.

"(Pyongyang) must be aware that it would face strong measures different from what has been taken so far should it undertake another reckless provocation in defiance of strong warnings from the international community that includes our government and the United States," Hwang said during a Cabinet meeting.

The acting president ordered the military to maintain an "impregnable" defense posture, noting that the likelihood of North Korean provocations remains high particularly at a time of government change in Seoul.

In recent weeks, Seoul, Washington and Tokyo have been ramping up efforts to prevent Pyongyang from engaging in provocative acts, with their leaders sending repeated warning messages to the reclusive state.

Beijing, Pyongyang's traditional ally, has also warned against any act that would escalate regional tensions.

Meanwhile, National Security Office chief Kim Kwan-jin presided over a security meeting at the presidential office after the North staged a large-scale artillery exercise.

He was briefed on the security situation from the Joint Chiefs of Staff and checked the military readiness posture, the presidential office said in a press release.

The North mobilized hundreds of artillery pieces in the exercise around its eastern coastal city of Wonsan as it celebrated its military's foundation anniversary.

Later in the day, Hwang hosted a meeting with science and economic experts.

During his opening remarks, he stressed that the country must not slacken efforts to secure future growth engines and ensure sustainable growth, while voicing concerns over a series of economic risk factors such as Pyongyang's security challenge and the weakening competitiveness of the country's mainstay industries. (Yonhap)