North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced new goals for the military at a meeting of the ruling Labor Party. “New core targets for strengthening self-defense capabilities, to be pursued vigorously in 2023, have been unveiled in preparation for the swings in the political situation,” North Korea’s official KCNA news agency reported today.
These are necessary because of the “challenging situation that has arisen” on the Korean peninsula and the broader political landscape, KCNA quoted Kim as saying. “He laid out the foreign policy principles and the direction of the fight against the enemy, which our Party and government must strictly adhere to in order to protect sovereign rights and defend national interests.”
Details of the new targets were not disclosed, but Kim’s comments suggest the isolated country will continue to accelerate its military buildup. North Korea has tested more missiles than ever this year. In addition, there are growing fears that the internationally isolated country could face a nuclear test for the first time since 2017.
