Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently inspected missile bases to evaluate their readiness for actions of “strategic deterrence”, emphasizing the perceived nuclear threat posed by U.S. military capabilities, according to a report by state media on Wednesday. Kim stated that the U.S. strategic nuclear arsenal represents an “ever-increasing threat” to North Korea’s security environment, underscoring the necessity for Pyongyang to maintain a stringent counteraction posture regarding its nuclear forces.
In response to international sanctions and growing concerns about its military ambitions, North Korea has intensified its development of ballistic missiles and a nuclear arsenal, strengthening military ties with Russia in the process. Kim’s visit comes amidst heightened tensions with South Korea and its allies, particularly regarding allegations of North Korean troop deployment to Russia for combat operations in Ukraine, a claim that North Korea has categorically denied.
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During a recent meeting in Seoul, South Korea’s National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik and Jacek Siewiera, the head of the Polish National Security Bureau, expressed apprehension over North Korea’s military cooperation with Moscow. The two officials committed to closely coordinating with the international community to address these concerns, as noted in a statement from South Korea’s presidential office.
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In the KCNA report, Kim Jong Un also stressed the importance of modernizing the armed forces, prioritizing strategic missiles as a “crucial principle” in the strategy for national defense development. He was joined on his visit by his influential sister, Kim Yo Jong, and Kim Jong Sik, the first vice department director of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea. Photographs published by KCNA depicted Kim wearing a leather coat while inspecting the missile bases, although the specific timing of the visits was not disclosed.
