North Korea鈥檚 leader Kim Jong Un speaks at the 5th National Meeting of Mothers in Pyongyang in this picture released by the Korean Central 好色先生TV Agency on December 5, 2023. KCNA via REUTERS/File Photo
SEOUL 鈥� North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered its military, the munitions industry and the nuclear weapons sector to accelerate war preparations to counter what he called unprecedented confrontational moves by the U.S., state media said on Thursday.
Speaking on the policy directions for the new year at a key meeting of the country鈥檚 ruling party on Wednesday, Kim also said Pyongyang would expand strategic cooperation with 鈥渁nti-imperialist independent鈥� countries, news agency KCNA reported.
鈥淗e (Kim) set forth the militant tasks for the People鈥檚 Army and the munitions industry, nuclear weapons and civil defense sectors to further accelerate the war preparations,鈥� KCNA said.
North Korea has been expanding ties with Russia, among others, as Washington accuses Pyongyang of supplying military equipment to Moscow for use in its war with Ukraine, while Russia provides technical support to help the North advance its military capabilities.
Kim also laid out economic goals for the new year during the meeting, calling it a 鈥渄ecisive year鈥� to accomplish the country鈥檚 five-year development plan, the report said.
鈥淗e 鈥� clarified the important tasks for the new year to be dynamically pushed forward in the key industrial sectors,鈥� and called for 鈥渟tabilizing the agricultural production on a high level.鈥�
The North has suffered serious food shortages in recent decades, including famine in the 1990s, often as a result of natural disasters. International experts have warned that border closures during the COVID-19 pandemic worsened food security.
North Korea鈥檚 crop output was estimated to have increased year-on-year in 2023 due to favorable weather conditions. But a Seoul official has said the amount was still far below what is needed to address the country鈥檚 chronic food shortages.
The 9th plenary meeting of the 8th central committee of the Workers鈥� Party of Korea kicked off on Tuesday to wrap up a year during which the isolated North enshrined nuclear policy in its constitution, launched a spy satellite and fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile.
The days-long assembly of the party and government officials has been used in recent years to make key policy announcements. Previously, state media released Kim鈥檚 speech on New Year鈥檚 Day.