South Korea says it has established a military unit to “decapitate” Kim Jong-un and other senior Communist officials in the North in the event of war.

The special forces team, designed to paralyse North Korea's wartime command if a conflict erupts with the South, is being rushed through two years ahead of schedule amid heightened tensions on the peninsula.

Seoul’s defence ministry confirmed that the unit will be launched later this year.

It was originally planned to be ready by 2019.

Included in the South’s plans is a "Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation" system that would use special forces and cruise missiles to wipe out areas where North Korean leader Mr Kim and the rest of the country's decision-makers are located.

North Korea claims success in fifth and biggest nuclear test

North and South Korea are still technically at war as they signed an armistice but not a treaty following the end of the Korean War in 1953.

The agreement created a two-mile-wide demilitarised zone – or DMZ – as a buffer between the borders of the two countries.

The US has said it believes North Korea is pressing ahead with the development of nuclear and ballistic missile technologies.

In a New Year’s Day address, Mr Kim said the North was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), raising the prospect of putting parts of the US within range of a strike.

The North Korean leader said: “We are in the final stages of test-launching the intercontinental ballistic missile.

“North Korea is a military power of the East that cannot be touched by even the strongest enemy.”

Inside the daily life in North Korea Show all 19 1 /19 Inside the daily life in North Korea Inside the daily life in North Korea People reading a newspaper at the metro station Inside the daily life in North Korea Thoughts of the leaders on the tram. They have about a dozen of these on every tram, all with different thoughts Inside the daily life in North Korea Young people training for a big upcoming festival Inside the daily life in North Korea People at the Pyongyang's annual marathon Inside the daily life in North Korea Many stars on one of the trolleys in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea An intimidating poster in a primary school in North Korea. Inside the daily life in North Korea Solar panels installed on a street lamp. Inside the daily life in North Korea A poster on the window next to one of the venues we visited in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea Kids playing football next to the Arch of Triumph. After a while tourists were allowed to join, so some of us did Inside the daily life in North Korea Class in an educational center in Pyongyang (where people over 17 years old can attend any classes they choose after school, for free) Inside the daily life in North Korea People waving at me during the Pyongyang marathon Inside the daily life in North Korea People having a great time dancing at a public park Inside the daily life in North Korea A metro driver in a metro station in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea Fireworks to mark the birthday of the Eternal President Kim Il Sung on our last night in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea My wonderful tour guide at a public park Inside the daily life in North Korea One of the parks in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea A person rowing some boats for the day at a river in Pyongyang Inside the daily life in North Korea The National War Museum Inside the daily life in North Korea Public park in Pyongyang

North Korea conducted two nuclear tests and a number of rocket test firings last year in an attempt to expand its nuclear weapons and missile program.

But Pyongyang has never successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

North Korea has its own ‘decapitation units’ set up to eliminate senior members of the South’s government and military.

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Mr Kim said during a visit to one of the special operations units in November that they were ready to “stab the enemy hearts with sharp daggers and break their backs”.

Chang Yong-seok, a researcher at Seoul National University's Institute for Peace and Unification Studies, said the creation of "decapitation units" on both sides of the border was the result of an arms race.