Breaking: Mattis warns N. Korea to cease actions leading to end of its regime.

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 9 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned North Korea Wednesday to stop provocations that could bring destruction to its regime and its people.

The rebuke comes as tensions have heightened over North Korea's threats to strike the U.S. with nuclear weapons.

"The DPRK should cease any consideration of actions that would lead to the end of its regime and the destruction of its people," Mattis said in a statement. DPRK is the acronym of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"While our State Department is making every effort to resolve this global threat through diplomatic means, it must be noted that the combined allied militaries now possess the most precise, rehearsed and robust defensive and offensive capabilities on Earth," the secretary warned. "The DPRK regime's actions will continue to be grossly overmatched by ours and would lose any arms race or conflict it initiates."

He also issued a direct warning to North Korea's leader.

"Kim Jong-un should take heed of the United Nations Security Council's unified voice, and statements from governments the world over, who agree the DPRK poses a threat to global security and stability."