South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol says North Korea is likely to conduct provocations including armed actions near the border and cyberattacks to interfere with April's parliamentary elections. He has called for tighter security measures.

Yoon was speaking at an annual meeting of the central integrated defense council on Wednesday.

Yoon called the North an "irrational" group and said it is the only country that has legalized the preemptive use of nuclear weapons. He blasted Pyongyang for ignoring international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions by trading arms with Russia. He also condemned the North for its repeated cruise missile launches and firing artillery shells toward the sea.

Yoon noted that the North has constantly carried out social disturbances and provocations in years when there are important political events. He went on to say his country could expect various actions from the North, such as border area provocations, drone intrusions, disinformation, cyberattacks and spreading fake news to interfere with April's election.

Wednesday's meeting was attended by officials from the military, government, police and others. They also discussed ways of responding under various scenarios to protect their people.

Earlier this month, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un called the South its "principal enemy" and said his country has no intention of avoiding war.