North Korea Kim Jong Un

2023 - 1 - 2

Post cover — Image courtesy of "Fox News"

Kim Jong Un: North Korea must 'overwhelmingly beef up' military ... (Fox News)

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un announced on New Years Day that he would be seeking to 'overwhelmingly beef up' the nation's military capabilities.

[SOUTH KOREA FIRES WARNING SHOTS, SCRAMBLES AIRCRAFT AFTER NORTH KOREAN DRONES CROSS BORDER](https://www.foxnews.com/world/south-korea-fires-warning-shots-scrambles-aircraft-north-korean-drones-cross-border) [North Korea](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/conflicts/north-korea) fired three ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on Saturday morning — a further escalation after previously flying drones into South Korean territory. [South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/world-regions/south-korea) reported Saturday morning that they had detected the launch of three missiles from North Korean territory south of its capital, Pyongyang. [Sea of Japan](https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/world-regions/asia). "They are now keen on isolating and stifling (North Korea), unprecedented in human history," Kim said. [NORTH KOREA FIRES 3 MISSILES INTO SEA DAYS AFTER SENDING DRONES ACROSS SOUTH KOREAN BORDER](https://www.foxnews.com/world/north-korea-fires-3-missiles-sea-days-sending-drones-across-south-korean-border) [KIM JONG UN FIRES NORTH KOREA'S TOP MILITARY OFFICIAL](https://www.foxnews.com/world/kim-jong-un-fires-north-koreas-top-military-official)

North Korea's Kim Jong Un orders 'exponential' expansion of ... (FOX 29 Philadelphia)

Kim Jong Un reportedly ordered the production of a new ballistic missile with a swift, retaliatory attack capability. The leader also said North Korea will ...

Kim Jong Un said the rocket launcher puts all of South Korea within striking distance and is capable of carrying a tactical nuclear warhead, according to KCNA. Later Sunday, South Korea’s Defense Ministry reiterated a warning that that any attempt to use nuclear weapons by North Korea "will lead to the end of the Kim Jong Un government." Kim’s identification of South Korea as an enemy and the mention of hostile U.S. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said that the U.S. Panda said the reference to a new ICBM appears to concern a solid-propellant system, which could be tested soon. 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. "The new year started but our security situation is still very grave," South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol told top military officers during a video conference. "They are now keen on isolating and stifling (North Korea), unprecedented in human history," Kim said at a recently ended key ruling party meeting, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. "It’s ambitious in that Kim consciously chose to spell out what he hopes to accomplish as we head into 2023, but it also suggests a dose of confidence on Kim’s part." He has repeatedly vowed to boost both the quality and quantity of his arsenal to cope with what he calls U.S. Some experts say Kim’s push to produce more nuclear and other weapons signals his intention to continue a run of weapons tests and ultimately solidify his future negotiating power and win greater outside concessions.

Kim Jong Un calls for exponential increase in North Korea's nuclear ... (WDJT)

(CNN) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is calling for an "exponential increase" in his country's nuclear weapons arsenal in response to what he claims are ...

"The word test is no longer appropriate to talk about most North Korean missile launches." And that, I think, is the big picture this year," Panda said. "Such provocations, including drone incursions, appear excessive for deterrence and may be intended to scare South Korea into taking a softer policy. He later added that an additional 30 of the 600mm MRL will be deployed to the military simultaneously. "Its recent missile launches were not technically impressive. "Most of the missiles they've launched this year are parts of military exercises. The ministry vowed to maintain its military readiness posture to "firmly respond" to any North Korean threats, adding that the military will strengthen its "three-axis" defense system designed to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. The three-axis defense system consists of the Kill Chain preemptive strike system, the Korea Air and Missile Defense system and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation plan, an operational plan to incapacitate the North Korean leadership in a major conflict. The ministry urged Pyongyang to "immediately stop" developing nuclear weapons and return to the path of denuclearization, warning that the "Kim Jong Un regime will come to an end if North Korea attempts to use nuclear weapons." Speaking on New Year's Eve on the final day of a six-day plenary session that reviewed 2022, Kim said South Korea has become an "undoubted enemy" and its main ally, the US, has increased pressure on the North to the "maximum" level over the past year by frequently deploying its military assets to the Korean Peninsula. In response, Kim said in the coming year that Pyonyang must mass produce tactical nuclear weapons while developing a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that would give the North a "quick counterstrike capability," according to the KCNA report. [tested what it claimed was a large, nuclear-capable, multiple-launch rocket system](https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/30/asia/north-korea-ballistic-missile-intl-hkr/index.html) that could put all of South Korea in its range, according to a report from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

North Korea Vows to Increase Nuclear Arsenal (The Diplomat)

Amid the strengthening military alliance between South Korea and the United States, Kim Jong Un vowed to expand his country's nuclear arsenal.

alliance involving “information sharing, and consultation process, as well as joint planning and execution, to deter and respond to DPRK’s advancing nuclear and missile threats.” In this context, Washington implied that the talks Yoon mentioned during the interview are related to this agreement. In the interview, Yoon also mentioned that South Korea is in talks with the United States over joint planning and joint exercises involving U.S. Hours after Biden’s remarks were quoted by media, Kim Eun-hye, a senior press secretary for Yoon’s office, explained that Biden’s “no” does not contradict Yoon’s remarks, as he was asked whether South Korea and the United States are in talks on a joint nuclear exercise. North Korea [confirmed](https://www.kcna.kp/en/article/q/64e900f5bd0353837ca02d7babcce3adde6d5f01abdcd11ff0772194588058bbe90b7d9d2886bc48b3cc61aad7ed43cc.kcmsf) on Saturday that it test-fired “super-large multiple rocket launchers” and “precisely hit a target island” in its eastern waters. He also mentioned that the United States is very optimistic and supportive on the initiative. In response, South Korea’s military will take more steps to further strengthen its surveillance and defense capabilities to respond to the North’s future provocations appropriately. with its partnership strategy to deprive the DPRK of its sacred dignity and sovereignty,” KCNA said. The missile on Sunday was launched from the Yongsong area of Pyongyang, the capital, and flew about 400 km. Kim made reports on five different agendas involving “the state policies in 2022 and the work plan for 2023,” which were discussed during the sixth plenary meeting of the 8th Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee from December 26 to December 31. It also added that developing another intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is one of the tasks Pyongyang will carry out to acquire a “quick nuclear counterstrike” capability. KCNA also reported that more detailed steps have been taken to devise concrete countermeasures against the United States and South Korea. (DPRK is an acronym of the North’s official name: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.)

Kim Jong-un plans to increase North Korea's nuclear arsenal (msnNOW)