SEOUL: North Korea on Tuesday accused the United States and South Korea of carrying out more than 1,100 spy plane missions this year amid mounting tensions over the communist state's nuclear programmes.

The North's Korean Central News Agency, quoting what it called a military source, said US and South Korean spy planes had made dozens of flights conducting aerial reconnaissance over the North in June alone.

"The US imperialist aggressor forces committed more than 110 cases while the South Korean puppet army at least 90 cases in June, bringing the total number of cases of aerial espionage against the DPRK to more than 1,100 cases in the first six months of the year," KCNA said, quoting the source.

The deputy head of US forces in South Korea in early June said they would deploy unmanned spy planes to keep a closer watch over nuclear-armed North Korea.

North Korea on May 25 staged its second nuclear test. It followed up by renouncing the armistice in force for more than 50 years on the peninsula, firing six short-range missiles and threatening the South with possible attack.

Pyongyang is also thought to be preparing to test medium-range missiles and a long-range Taepodong-2. - AFP/de