After ballistic missile launch: Kim orders new ICBMs and tactical nuclear weapons

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the development of new intercontinental ballistic missiles and massive production of tactical nuclear weapons to counter threats from the United States and South Korea, Reuters reported, citing North Korean state media.

Speaking at a key meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, Kim highlighted the need to boost the country's nuclear arsenal and secure "overwhelming military power" to defend its sovereignty and security.

Kim accused Washington and Seoul of carrying out a "plot to isolate and stifle" Pyongyang, calling it "unparalleled in human history."

"He presented the task of developing another intercontinental ballistic missile system with a rapid nuclear counterattack capability as its basic mission," said the North’s leader, as quoted by the official KCNA news agency.

Kim’s comments came hours after North Korea began 2023 by firing a short-range ballistic missile toward its eastern waters. READ MORE