North Korean leader Orders Military: prepare for war
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the military and the munitions and nuclear weapons industry to speed up preparations for war to repel what he described as unprecedented aggressive moves by the United States, state media reported Thursday.
Speaking about the political directions for the new year at a ruling party meeting on Wednesday, Kim also said Pyongyang would expand its strategic cooperation with "independent anti-imperialist"countries.
The North's Korean Central News Agency commented that the leader "outlined the combat tasks of the people's Army, the Munitions Industry, nuclear weapons and civil defense sectors in order to further accelerate preparations for war".
North Korea is expanding ties with countries including Russia, Washington accuses Pyongyang of supplying Moscow with military equipment for use in its war with Ukraine, while Russia provides technical support to help North Korea develop its military capabilities.
During the meeting, Kim also set economic goals for the new year, which he described as a "crucial year" for completing the country's five-year development plan, the report said.
North Korea has suffered from serious food shortages over the past decades,including a famine in the nineties. The reason was often due to natural disasters. International experts have warned that the closure of borders during the covid-19 pandemic has led to a deterioration in food security.
It is estimated that crop production increased in North Korea on an annual basis in 2023 due to favorable weather conditions. However, an official in Seoul said the quantities were still far below what is needed to address the country's chronic food shortage.
