N.Korea’s leader calls for boosting military power
North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un called for boosting the country’s strategic military forces on Wednesday, as he observed the test of a hypersonic missile.
Authorities in South Korea and Japan detected the suspected launch, which drew condemnation around the world and prompted an expression of concern from the U.N. secretary-general.
The second test of a hypersonic missile in less than a week underscored Kim’s New Year’s vow to bolster the military with cutting-edge technology at a time when talks with South Korea and the United States have stalled.
After watching the test, Kim urged military scientists to further accelerate the efforts to steadily build up the country’s strategic military muscle both in quality and quantity and further modernize the army.
“It was the first time since March 2020 that Kim had officially attended a missile test.
“His presence here would suggest particular attention on this programme,” A senior fellow at the U.S.-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Ankit Panda stated.
Talks aimed at persuading North Korea to surrender or limit its arsenal of nuclear weapons and missiles have stalled, with Pyongyang saying it is open to diplomacy but only if the United States and its allies stop hostile policies such as sanctions or military drills.
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