North Korea appears to be prepping a medium range Nodong ballistic missile, an unnamed government source told South Korean media on March 3.

The news comes amidst rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula as the U.S. and South Korea began their annual joint military drills the previous day. While launch preparations could not be confirmed, a government source told NK News on the condition of anonymity that “the [ROK] military is maintaining its readiness".

The DPRK last fired the Nodong missile in March 2014, drawing condemnation from the UN.

“We've detected signs that North