North Korea's Kim vows to accelerate military buildup

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Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has announced plans to accelerate his nation’s military buildup, prioritising the expansion of nuclear forces to safeguard national sovereignty. 

The announcement followed a three-day plenary meeting of the Workers' Party of Korea, where officials reviewed strategic goals for 2026 and condemned recent security developments in the region.

Kim justified the need for an ‘absolutely reliable’ deterrent by pointing to deepening military cooperation between the United States and South Korea. Specifically, he criticised the establishment of the Nuclear Consultative Group and ongoing efforts to advance South Korea's nuclear-powered submarine program. 

Pyongyang views these modernization efforts and joint exercises as escalatory actions that push the Korean Peninsula toward the ‘brink of a nuclear war.’

Furthermore, the North Korean leader slammed Japan, accusing it of exploiting current regional instability to dismantle post-war defense restrictions and aggressively rebuild its military capabilities. 

By framing these threats as urgent, the North Korean leadership has committed to increasing the speed of its nuclear weapons development, maintaining a ‘line of no retreat’ regarding its status as a nuclear state.

Photo Credits: KCNA