North Korea claimed Sunday that more than 1.22 million women have "volunteered" to join its military to fight the US and the number is on the rise.

"All the DPRK women are full of determination to turn out as one in safeguarding the country," said the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) monitored in Seoul. 

(Yonhap)

"Over 1.22 million women petitioned to be allowed to join or rejoin the Korean People's Army with a will to wipe out on the earth the US imperialists keen on 'totally destroying' the DPRK, and the number of volunteers is on the daily increase," it added.

DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

In the report, the KCNA carried interviews with some women that it said have sought to join the military. They voiced strong resentment against the US and determination to fight it.

The report followed the North's earlier claim that millions of young men and women expressed their will to join the military.

Those moves came after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un issued a statement on Sept. 22 vowing to take the "highest-level" actions in response to US President Donald Trump's threat to "totally destroy" the North over its nuke and missile programs.

Tensions have spiked since the North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear detonation test early last month followed by a war of words between the leaders of the US and North Korea hinting that military action could be involved. (Yonhap)