SEOUL (Reuters) - A&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;youth&nbsp;group&nbsp;has donated&nbsp;rocket&nbsp;launchers&nbsp;to the&nbsp;military&nbsp;in a show of "fervent patriotism", state&nbsp;media&nbsp;KCNA reported on Wednesday, as the isolated state confronts what it sees as growing foreign threats.
The donation of&nbsp;military&nbsp;equipment took place at a ceremony on Tuesday as the&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;Children's Union (KCU), a political&nbsp;youth&nbsp;group, celebrated its 77th anniversary.
The KCU, whose members are known for their red scarfs, was set up to promote the&nbsp;North's political ideology including "Juche", or self reliance.
In recent months,&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea has stepped up propaganda efforts and public messaging, including the staging of rallies at which effigies of South&nbsp;Korean&nbsp;and American leaders have been burned, as its missile and nuclear programmes raise growing alarm abroad.
North&nbsp;Korea has defied U.N. Security Council resolutions by test firing various missiles, including its biggest intercontinental ballistic missile this year.
Last week, it drew international condemnation by attempting to launch its first spy satellite, although the&nbsp;rocket&nbsp;and the payload plunged into the sea.
Tuesday's ceremony was attended by senior ruling party officials, KCNA reported. It did not say how the funds were raised for the&nbsp;military&nbsp;equipment.
The donated&nbsp;rocket&nbsp;launchers&nbsp;were dubbed "Sonyeon", which means boy in&nbsp;Korean, although the&nbsp;youth&nbsp;group's members include boys and girls.
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(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Ed Davies, Robert Birsel)

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North Korean youth group donates rocket launchers to military - media