North Korea’s chief Kim Jong Un has pledged to launch three new spy satellites, construct navy drones and enhance his nation’s inventory of nuclear weapons in 2024.
Mr Kim mentioned strikes by the US and its allies towards Pyongyang have been unprecedented in 2023, pushing the Korean Peninsula to the brink of nuclear struggle.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), he mentioned: “The grave situation requires us to accelerate works to acquire overwhelming war response capabilities and thorough and perfect military readiness to suppress any types of provocations by the enemies at a stroke.”
He made the remarks throughout a five-day assembly of the ruling Workers’ Party to set state targets for subsequent 12 months, which ended on Saturday.
Mr Kim introduced plans to ascertain three extra spy satellites in 2024 after the nation launched its first reconnaissance satellite tv for pc in November.
He additionally ordered the state to press forward with work to fabricate extra nuclear weapons and develop numerous varieties of unmanned fight tools, reminiscent of armed drones and highly effective digital warfare units, KCNA mentioned.
Mr Kim has targeted on modernising his nuclear and missile arsenals since talks with then-US president Donald Trump broke down in 2019 over disagreements about worldwide sanctions on Pyongyang.
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Heightened tensions
Since final 12 months, North Korea has test-fired greater than 100 ballistic missiles – lots of which had been nuclear-capable weapons which may goal the mainland US, in violation of United Nations sanctions.
The US and South Korea responded by increasing their navy workout routines and deploying US strategic belongings reminiscent of bombers, plane carriers and a nuclear-armed submarine – strikes North Korea condemned as US-led invasion rehearsals.
Mr Kim mentioned the return of such weapons had remodeled South Korea right into a “forward military base and nuclear arsenal” of the US.
“If we look closely at the confrontational military actions by the enemy forces… the word ‘war’ has become a realistic reality and not an abstract concept,” he added.
He mentioned he has no alternative however to forge deeper relations with different international locations which oppose the US – Pyongyang has shut ties with each China and Russia.
Last week, South Korea’s spy company mentioned North Korea will seemingly launch navy provocations and cyberattacks forward of Seoul’s parliamentary elections in April and the US presidential election in November.
Source: information.sky.com”