North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered his country’s military, nuclear weapons forces and munitions industry to accelerate war preparations to counter “confrontational moves by the US”, state media has said.
Speaking on the policy directions for the new year at a key meeting of the country’s ruling party on Wednesday, Mr Kim also said Pyongyang would expand its cooperation with “anti-imperialist independent” countries, North Korean news agency KCNA reported.
“He (Kim) set forth the militant tasks for the People’s Army and the munitions industry, nuclear weapons and civil defence sectors to further accelerate the war preparations,” KCNA said.
It added it was in response to “(anti-North Korea) confrontational moves by the US and its vassal forces unprecedented in history”.
North Korea has been strengthening ties with Russia – among others – as Washington accuses Pyongyang of supplying military aid to Moscow to use in its war with Ukraine.
South Korea has vowed a stern retaliation against any provocations by the North, amid fears it will launch a military and cyber attack ahead of South Korean parliamentary elections in April and the US presidential election in November.
On Thursday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited a frontline military unit in the eastern county of Yeoncheon to inspect its defence posture and called for immediate retaliation if there was any provocation from North Korea.
