Seoul, Mar 7 (IANS): North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for intensifying "practical actual war drills" during a visit to a military training base, state media said on Thursday, as a joint military exercise between South Korea and the US was underway.

During the visit to the base in the country's western region on Wednesday, Kim inspected training facilities and guided the actual manoeuvres of military units, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

"He set forth the important tasks for intensifying the practical actual-war drills ensuring the victory in a war," the KCNA said.

Kim also instructed the military to beef up drills to improve its combat capabilities to contain enemies with "overwhelming force" and their "slightest attempt to ignite a war," the KCNA said in an English-language dispatch.

The visit came two days after South Korea and the US began their annual Freedom Shield exercise Monday to strengthen deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

North Korea has condemned the joint exercise, warning the countries will pay a "dear price", Yonhap news agency reported.