North Korea claims that about 800,000 young people have volunteered for military service to fight against the United States and other enemies, Azernews reports, citing Aljazeera.

The volunteers – promising to “completely wipe out” North Korea’s enemies and unify the two Koreas – signed up for enlistment or re-enlistment in the military at state-organised events on Friday, Rodong Sinmum said, in a report that featured photos of people waiting in long lines to sign their names at construction sites and other outdoor venues.

“About 800,000? students and workers – described as the country’s “youth vanguard” – had stepped up “at once to join the war to defend the homeland and the war to destroy the enemy”, Rondong Sinmum reported on Saturday, according to NK News – which monitors events in North Korea.