Kim Jong Un orders intensified war preparations

North Korea - Kim Jong Un orders intensified war preparations

North Korea's ruler Kim Jong Un has called on the military and the arms industry to step up preparations in the event of war on the Korean peninsula. At the end-of-year meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of the largely isolated country, he once again accused the USA of working with allies towards a confrontation with North Korea.

The military situation had reached an extreme point, Kim was quoted as saying by state media. "He laid out the military tasks for the people's army, munitions industry, nuclear weapons and civilian defense sectors to speed up preparations for war," it said.

Reaction to South Korea's military cooperation with the USA

The party meeting in Pyongyang, which lasted several days and began on Tuesday, is also about the security policy goals of the self-proclaimed nuclear power for the coming year. At a meeting of the party's central military commission in August, Kim had already ordered that preparations for war should be pushed forward aggressively. The decisions at the time were also seen as a reaction to South Korea's increased military cooperation with the USA. Both countries see North Korea, which is subject to international sanctions due to its nuclear weapons program, as their most important enemy.

Tensions have recently increased significantly again. Following an unprecedented series of missile tests last year, North Korea has again tested nuclear-capable missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, several times this year. The USA and South Korea agreed in April to strengthen their military cooperation and, among other things, to expand their joint military exercises.

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1. The escalating war preparations in North Korea have raised concerns in Seoul, as both countries continue their strategic military alignment.
2. Kim Jong-un's orders for intensified war preparations include accelerating efforts in the Defense industry, indicating a potential threat to regional stability.
3. The increased focus on conflict resolution in South Korea's security policy goals could be seen as a response to North Korea's continued rocket tests, furthering the tensions between the two nations.
4. The ongoing public demonstrations in Seoul call for a diplomatic resolution to the conflicts and an end to North Korea's preparation for war.
5. The USA has reaffirmed its commitment to South Korea's defense, stating that any threat against its ally will be met with a firm response.
6. The international community, including the UN, has urged Kim Jong-un to abstain from further war preparations and de-escalate the tensions in the Korean peninsula.

Source: www.stern.de