Kim Jong Un warns war is 'realistic reality' as he pledges to build more nuclear weapons in 2024
North Korea's leader says moves by the US and its allies against Pyongyang have been unprecedented in 2023, pushing the Korean Peninsula to the brink of nuclear war.
Sunday 31 December 2023 15:41, UK
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to launch three new spy satellites, build military drones and increase his country's stock of nuclear weapons in 2024.
Mr Kim said moves by the US and its allies against Pyongyang have been unprecedented in 2023, pushing the Korean Peninsula to the brink of nuclear war.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), he said: "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 during a five-day meeting of the ruling Workers' Party to set state goals for next year, which ended on Saturday.
Mr Kim announced plans to establish three more spy satellites in 2024 after the country launched its first reconnaissance satellite in November.
He also ordered the state to press ahead with work to manufacture more nuclear weapons and develop various types of unmanned combat equipment, such as armed drones and powerful electronic warfare devices, KCNA said.
Mr Kim has focused on modernising his nuclear and missile arsenals since talks with then-US president Donald Trump broke down in 2019 over disagreements about international sanctions on Pyongyang.
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Heightened tensions
Since last year, North Korea has test-fired more than 100 ballistic missiles - many of which were nuclear-capable weapons which could target the mainland US, in violation of United Nations sanctions.
The US and South Korea responded by expanding their military exercises and deploying US strategic assets such as bombers, aircraft carriers and a nuclear-armed submarine - moves North Korea condemned as US-led invasion rehearsals.
Mr Kim said the return of such weapons had transformed South Korea 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 said he has no choice but to forge deeper relations with other countries which oppose the US - Pyongyang has close ties with both China and Russia.
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South Korea condemns Kim's plans
South Korea's defence ministry condemned Mr Kim's plans to expand North Korea's nuclear arsenal.
Using South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea (ROK), it said: "If North Korea attempts to use nuclear weapons against us, we will retaliate overwhelmingly by utilising the dramatically strengthened extended deterrence of the ROK-US alliance and the three-axis system, and the Kim Jong Un regime will face its end."
South Korea's unification ministry said of Mr Kim's remarks that "further provocation is always possible to highlight North Korea's presence ahead of the US presidential election".
It added: "(North Korea) could maintain its hard line stance against the US and anti-American, anti-imperialist solidarity, and also seek opportunities to turn the situation around at the same time."