29 December 2023 , 13:50
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Kim Jong-un has ordered the North Korean army to "get ready for war" due to an "unprecedented" threat from the United States.
The leader spoke at a party meeting this week, where he set out his country's goals for the coming year. And he asked the military along with the munitions industry to "further accelerate war preparations".
He claimed this was in response to "confrontational moves by the US and its vassal forces unprecedented in history", which was reported by state media.
It appears likely that North Korea will continue testing weapons to modernise its nuclear arsenal. Experts believe that Kim Jong-un is hoping to use this strengthened arsenal as leverage in future talks with Washington, possibly after the 2024 US presidential election.
State media also mentioned that Kim talked about North Korea's relations with South Korea, but didn't provide any details. The Workers' Party meeting will go on for several days, with full details expected to be published afterwards.
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South Korea's National Intelligence Service has said that it expects cyber attacks and military provocations from North Korea in the run-up to the South's elections in April and the US presidential election in November.
Meanwhile, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol made a visit to a front-line army unit and gave clear instructions on dealing with potential attacks from the North. He advised: "If provoked, you should immediately respond and retaliate before reporting to [your higher-ups] later. I'd like you to sternly and swiftly smash the enemy's intentions to stage provocations on the spot."
Research professor Lee Sang-sook, based at Seoul's Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security, has issued a warning that disturbances from North Korea at the border could potentially escalate into conflicts in the coming year.
Earlier this month Kim’s daughter tagged along with her father to watch a ballistic missile test, while sporting a pink fluffy coat. The dictator’s daughter joined her father for the staged viewing, raising questions about the line of succession in North Korea.
Kim watched over Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missiles being fired from a weapons site and he was joined by his ten-year-old daughter Kim Ju-Ae who shook the hands of officials, and was seated beside her father. Her presence was prominent throughout and reported in the country's state media.
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