North Korea is promising to refine its weapons development and strengthen its nuclear capabilities.
Supreme leader Kim Jong Un made the comments Monday at a state event celebrating the country’s 76th anniversary.
“The obvious conclusion is that the nuclear force of the DPRK and the posture capable of properly using it for ensuring the state’s right to security in any time should be more thoroughly perfected,” the dictator said.
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“DPRK” is an abbreviation for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Kim Jong Un warned that the United States’ increased involvement in the region has forced the regime to pursue more powerful weapons as a deterrence mechanism.
“The DPRK will steadily strengthen its nuclear force capable of fully coping with any threatening acts imposed by its nuclear-armed rival states and redouble its measures and efforts to make all the armed forces of the state, including the nuclear force, fully ready for combat,” the supreme leader said.
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North Korea has sought to both augment its self-defense capabilities and strengthen its regional alliances against the United States.
The 14th Supreme People’s Assembly, the unicameral legislative body of the country, amended the national constitution last year to enshrine nuclear weaponization as a core principle.
Kim Jong Un met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in June, affirming the two nations’ shared history and commitment to mutual defensive support.
Li Hongzhong, a high-ranking official within the Chinese Communist Party, traveled to North Korea in July for a similar goodwill visit.
The Russia-China-North Korea triad’s increasing cooperation against Western interests has made their alliance a significant consideration for U.S. and NATO officials.