North Korean state media reported on Thursday that leader Kim Jong Un has instructed the military and the munitions and nuclear weapons industries to accelerate war preparations in response to what he described as unprecedented aggressive moves by the United States. The Korean Central News Agency quoted Kim, during a discussion about the political direction for the new year in a meeting of the ruling party on Wednesday, stating that Pyongyang would expand strategic cooperation with "anti-imperialist independent states."
North Korea is working to strengthen its relations with countries including Russia, while Washington accuses Pyongyang of supplying Moscow with military equipment used in its war with Ukraine. Russia is providing technical support to assist North Korea in developing its military capabilities.
The agency added that the leader "set the combat tasks for the People's Army, the munitions and nuclear weapons industries, and civil defense in order to further accelerate war preparations."
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol visited a military unit on the front lines in the eastern region of Yeoncheon on Thursday to inspect its defensive status and called for an immediate response to any provocation from North Korea. Yoon told the soldiers, "I urge you to crush the enemy's will promptly and resolutely in the event of any provocative action."
The report noted that Kim also outlined economic objectives for the new year, describing it as a "crucial year" for achieving the country’s five-year development plan. North Korea has faced severe food shortages over the past decades, including a famine in the 1990s, often attributed to natural disasters. International experts have warned that the closure of borders during the COVID-19 pandemic has deteriorated food security.
Estimates suggest that crop production in North Korea has increased year-on-year in 2023 due to improved weather, but a Seoul official noted that the quantities remain far below what is needed to address the country’s chronic food shortage.
