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SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered his military and arms sector to “accelerate war preparations” due to unprecedented confrontational measures by the United States , state media reported Thursday.
Speaking on political directions for the new year at the central committee meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea on Wednesday, Kim Jong-un also said Pyongyang would develop strategic cooperation with “anti-imperialist and independent” countries. according to the KCNA news agency.
Kim Jong-un “defined tasks for the People’s Army and sectors of the munitions industry, nuclear power and civil defense to accelerate war preparations,” KCNA reported.
North Korea has recently strengthened its ties with Russia, among others. Washington accuses Pyongyang of providing military equipment to Moscow to help in its war against Ukraine, while Russia provides technical support to help North Korea strengthen its military capabilities.
Kim Jong-un also defined economic objectives for the new year, described as “decisive” for the realization of the country’s five-year development plan, particularly in the agricultural field.
North Korea has suffered severe food shortages in recent decades, including a famine in the 1990s, often following natural disasters.
Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of borders have impacted food security.
North Korea’s agricultural production is estimated to have increased year-on-year in 2023 thanks to favorable weather conditions. However, a Seoul official estimated that this amount was still far below what is needed to address the country’s chronic food shortages.
(Reporting Soo-hyang Choi; French version Gaëlle Sheehan, editing by Kate Entringer)
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