North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for an unrestricted boost to the country’s nuclear capabilities and the completion of war preparations, citing escalating military threats from adversaries, state media reported Monday.
In a fiery speech to the 4th Conference of Battalion Commanders and Political Instructors of the Korean People’s Army in Pyongyang on Friday, Kim called the Korean peninsula “the world’s biggest hotspot” and blamed the U.S. and South Korea for escalating tensions to “the worst phase in history.”
Meanwhile, North Korea’s involvement in Russia’s war on Ukraine appears to be expanding. The Financial Times reported on Saturday that Pyongyang is supplying not just soldiers and ammunition, but also heavy weaponry. Recent deliveries to Russia reportedly include 50 M1989 Koksan self-propelled howitzers and nearly 20 multiple rocket launchers, all manufactured in North Korea.
The U.S. State Department has accused North Korea of sending thousands of soldiers to actively fight alongside Russian forces near the border region of Kursk. South Korean intelligence corroborates these claims, estimating over 10,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to Russia, along with artillery ammunition.
This growing military alliance between North Korea and Russia has been cemented through a new agreement, which includes a mutual defense pact. As Pyongyang tightens its bond with Moscow, Kim’s call for war preparedness highlights the increasing volatility in the region, as tensions across the globe continue to escalate.
