Kim Jong Un also stated that the ‘military situation’ on the Korean peninsula had become ‘extreme’ as a result of ‘unprecedented’ confrontations between North Korea and the US.

Pyongyang: Kim Jong Un has directed the North Korean military, including its nuclear programme, to ‘accelerate’ war preparations in response to what he described as “unprecedented hostile steps” by the United States against the East Asian nation.

According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the North Korean leader “set forth the tasks for the People’s Army and the munitions industry, nuclear weapons, and civil defence sectors to further accelerate war preparations” at a meeting of the country’s ruling Workers’ Party on Thursday.

Kim also stated that the ‘military situation’ on the Korean peninsula had become ‘extreme’ as a result of ‘unprecedented’ confrontations between North Korea and the US, the KCNA reported, according to Al Jazeera.

However, no elaborate details about the war preparations were provided by the KCNA.

US, allies make moves to corner North Korea

In their bid to counter and corner North Korea, United States and its allies– Japan and South Korea– have have increased political and defence cooperation this year in response to Pyongyang’s record-breaking run of weapons tests.

The three allies recently activated a cutting-edge system to communicate real-time data on North Korean missile launches.

Earlier this month, a US nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the South Korean port city of Busan. Washington also deployed long-range bombers in drills with Seoul and Tokyo, according to Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, Pyongyang successfully launched its first military spy satellite on the third attempt, tested its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-18, and entrenched nuclear power status in the country’s constitution.

North Korea-Russia ties

Nuclear talks broke down in 2019 following the failure of a series of high-stakes summits with then-US President Donald Trump over sanctions relief in exchange for Pyongyang’s partial surrender of its nuclear programme.

Since its first nuclear test in 2006, the country has been sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council. However, Pyongyang is presently deepening its ties with Moscow. This caught sight, when in September this year, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un visited Russia, where he also paid a visit to military bases and weapons factories.

The meeting took place amid suspicions that Pyongyang was giving Moscow military weaponry for use in its fight with Ukraine in exchange for Russian technology