North Korea says it will retain its nuclear weapons permanently, rejecting South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s renewed call for a denuclearised Korean Peninsula.

Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui described the country’s nuclear status as irreversible and said Pyongyang would maintain its arsenal “through all ages.”

Lee has called for dialogue to halt the growth of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities.

Pyongyang also announced a test of upgraded 240-millimetre multiple-launch rockets capable of striking targets up to 115 kilometres away.

US President Donald Trump has said he plans to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year.