North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called on his party to "accelerate" preparations for war, including its nuclear program, state media reported Thursday. His call came just a week after Kim warned that Pyongyang would not hesitate to launch a nuclear attack if "provoked" with nuclear weapons.
Kim made the comments at an ongoing party meeting at the end of the year, where he is expected to unveil key policy decisions for 2024. He asked the party to "further accelerate preparations for war" in all sectors, including nuclear weapons and civil defense, the official Korean Central News Agency said. Pyongyang Central News Agency. He also stressed that the "military situation" on the Korean Peninsula has become "extreme" due to the "unprecedented" confrontation with Washington.
Seoul, Tokyo and Washington have stepped up defense cooperation in the face of a record series of weapons tests by Pyongyang this year and recently activated a system to share real-time data on North Korean missile launches.
Earlier this month, a US nuclear submarine arrived in the South Korean port city of Busan and Washington sent its long-range bombers to exercises with Seoul and Tokyo. The North described the participation of US strategic assets - such as B-52 bombers - in joint exercises on the Korean Peninsula as "deliberate provocative moves by the US for nuclear war". This year, Pyongyang successfully launched a reconnaissance satellite, enshrined its status as a nuclear power in its constitution and launched the most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in its arsenal. Earlier this week, Kim described 2023 as a "year of great upheaval and great change" in which Pyongyang saw "eye-opening victories". Last week, the UN Atomic Energy Agency said the second reactor at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear facility appeared to be functioning, calling it "deeply regrettable". /BGNES
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