Kim Jong-un rings in new year by ordering ‘exponential increase’ of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal

Hermit kingdom’s leader also wants to ‘overwhelmingly beef up military muscle’

Kim Jong-un has called for an “exponential” expansion of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal as the country’s new year began with another round of weapons testing following a record number of testing activities in 2022.

Mr Kim announced the new expansion plans for the regime’s nuclear arsenal during an address at a plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, state media said. “The prevailing situation calls for making redoubled efforts to overwhelmingly beef up the military muscle,” Mr Kim said at a recently ended key ruling party meeting, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

During the six-day meeting meant to determine new state objectives, Kim called for “an exponential increase of the country’s nuclear arsenal” to mass produce battlefield tactical nuclear weapons targeting South Korea. He also presented a task to develop a more powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with a “quick nuclear counterstrike” capability. He said the North’s first military reconnaissance satellite will be launched “at the earliest date possible”, KCNA said.