North Korea pledges to strengthen nuclear capabilities and modernize military
North Korea plans to enhance its nuclear capabilities both qualitatively and quantitatively as part of a broader effort to modernize its armed forces and improve combat readiness, the country’s state news agency KCNA reported on Friday, according to AFP.
The announcement followed an expanded meeting of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers’ Party, held on Thursday, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.
Among the military measures approved during the meeting was a decision to strengthen the country’s nuclear forces in both quality and quantity while continuing the normalization, specialization, and modernization of military bases.
KCNA also reported that North Korea intends to upgrade the technical infrastructure of its combat systems and accelerate the construction of modern naval bases.
During the meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated that the country’s peace and security can only be guaranteed through a strong military capable of neutralizing all threats.
Earlier this month, Kim supervised a weapons test involving the 5,000-ton destroyer Kang Kon, which had partially capsized during its launch last year before being repaired. He has previously said that the country’s military is working to equip the navy with nuclear weapons.
North Korea has repeatedly declared itself an “irreversible nuclear state” since the collapse of the 2019 summit between Kim Jong Un and then-U.S. President Donald Trump, which failed over disagreements on denuclearization and sanctions relief.
The diplomatically isolated country remains under multiple international sanctions because of its nuclear weapons program, which its leadership says is necessary to deter the United States and South Korea.
North and South Korea remain technically at war, as the 1950–1953 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. The two countries continue to be separated by a heavily fortified demilitarized zone along their border.
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