N Korea fired unprecedented number of missiles this year including tactical nuclear weapons, ICBM, and hypersonic gliding flight warheads
\n SEOUL
\nNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un unveiled new goals for the country\u2019s military for 2023 at an ongoing meeting of the ruling Workers\u2019 Party, state media reported on Wednesday, hinting at another year of intensive weapons tests and tension.
\nOn the second day of the Sixth Enlarged Plenary Meeting of the party\u2019s 8th Central Committee, Kim reviewed the \u201cnewly created challenging situation\u201d on the Korean peninsula and the broader political landscapes, the report said.
\nThe third-generation leader set the direction for the \u201canti-enemy struggle\u201d and goals for reinforcing defence power, it added.
\n\u201cHe specified the principles of foreign affairs and the direction of the struggle against the enemy that our party and government must thoroughly abide by in order to protect sovereign rights and defend national interests,\u201d the official KCNA news agency said.
\n\u201cNew core goals for strengthening self-defensive capabilities to be strongly pursued in 2023 have been presented in preparation for diverse fluctuations in the political situation.\u201d
\nKCNA did not provide details on those goals, but Kim\u2019s remarks could indicate the isolated country will continue to accelerate its military buildup.
\nNorth Korea has fired an unprecedented number of missiles this year, and many launches were designed to develop \u201ctop priority\u201d strategic weapons under a five-year plan laid out at a Workers\u2019 Party congress in early 2021.
\nThe list includes tactical nuclear weapons, a new intercontinental ballistic missile, hypersonic gliding flight warheads, nuclear-powered submarines and a reconnaissance satellite.
\nTension remained high throughout this year amid the North\u2019s constant weapons tests, and it flared again this week after five North Korean drones crossed into South Korea, prompting Seoul to scramble fighter jets and attack helicopters, and try to shoot them down.
\nDuring the plenary meeting, Kim also pointed out \u201ca series of serious shortcomings\u201d observed in such areas as science, education and health this year, and suggested ways to overcome them and raised key tasks for next year, KCNA said.
\nNorth Korean leaders previously made speeches on New Year Day, but in recent years, Kim has called days-long party gatherings at the end of the year to announce major policy decisions.
\nThe economy is high on the agenda, with Kim facing mounting pressure from international sanctions, the fallout from an anti-coronavirus lockdown and natural disasters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
N Korea fired unprecedented number of missiles this year including tactical nuclear weapons, ICBM, and hypersonic gliding flight warheads SEOUL North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unveiled new goals for the country\u2019s military for 2023 at an ongoing meeting of the ruling Workers\u2019 Party, state media reported on Wednesday, hinting at another year of intensive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":304139,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-304122","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n