North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he wants to strengthen the country’s nuclear capabilities and military preparations given “unprecedented” tensions on the peninsula, North Korean state media reported Thursday.
On Wednesday, the second day of the solemn annual meeting of the Workers’ Party, North Korea’s only party, Kim told the military, as well as the munitions, nuclear weapons and civil defense sectors, to “further speed up preparations for war.”
The leader’s speech referred to the “serious political and military situation on the Korean Peninsula, which has reached a historically unprecedented extreme due to confrontational movements by the US and vassal forces,” North Korea’s state news agency KCNA reported.
On Tuesday, South Korea, the United States and Japan announced the launch of a real-time information-sharing system on North Korean missiles and a plan for regular exercises to counter Pyongyang’s military offensives.
According to KCNA, the leader also defended North Korea’s right to “expand and develop strategic cooperative relations with independent and anti-imperialist countries,” apparently referring to criticism of the recent rapprochement with Moscow, as well as to engage in “anti-imperialist struggle.” “on an international scale.
The West has accused Pyongyang of supplying weapons and ammunition to Russia, but the authorities of the Asian country deny this.
However, in October, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov thanked North Korea for its support in the war against Ukraine.
The party meeting, whose duration is unknown, will set policy goals for 2024, a “crucial year” for the implementation of the regime’s current five-year plan, said Kim, who has championed increased weapons development.
The North Korean leader stressed the need to consolidate the party’s organizational and ideological foundations, as well as implement the strategy “through a bolder and more decisive struggle, despite growing challenges and difficulties.”
Beyond foreign policy, Kim also highlighted “issues that need to be given priority” to party members to strengthen North Korea’s political, labor and economic systems.
Kim stressed the need to strengthen industries such as steel, chemicals, electricity, coal and machinery, as well as accelerate rural development and stabilize agricultural production, giving priority to regional industries and fisheries.
North Korea recorded a rare good harvest this year as the country completed new irrigation projects ahead of schedule and achieved key agricultural goals, KCNA reported Wednesday.
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Tifany Hawkins, a professional journalist with years of experience in news reporting. I currently work for a prominent news website and write articles for 24NewsReporters as an author. My primary focus is on economy-related stories, though I am also experienced in several other areas of journalism.