Test launch of a ballistic missile from a secret location in North Korea on July 31, 2019. (Photo: AFP / VNA)

Chief of the General Staff Pak Jong Chon warned that "hostile forces", including the United States, should refrain from provoking North Korea if they wanted to see a peaceful New Year, state news agency KCNA said.

The statement came hours after North Korea said it had conducted a second test at a satellite and rocket engine facility.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has set a year-end deadline for talks with the United States, warning he may take an unspecified "new path" if concessions aren't made.