North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for an \u201cexponential\u201d increase in the production of nuclear warheads and ordered the development of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to counter the United States and South Korea.
\nAccording to internaional media reports, Kim\u2019s statement was released on state media on Sunday, hours after North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile off its east coast in a rare late-night New Year\u2019s Day weapons test.
\nDuring his comments at a key meeting of the ruling Worker\u2019s Party, Kim accused Washington and Seoul of carrying out a \u201cplot to isolate and stifle\u201d North Korea, calling it \u201cunparalleled in human history\u201d, according to Korean\u00a0official media. He said the situation called for Pyongyang to \u201cdouble down our efforts to strengthen our military power overwhelmingly\u201d and \u201cto safeguard our sovereignty, safety and basic national interest to cope with the dangerous military moves by the US and other hostile forces that target us\u201d.
\n\u201cIt highlights the importance and necessity of mass producing tactical nuclear weapons and calls for an exponential increase of the country\u2019s nuclear arsenal,\u201d Kim said.
\nHe also ordered the manufacturing of a new type of ICBM \u201cwith a rapid nuclear counterattack capability as its basic mission\u201d.
\nKim also reportedly said North Korea plans to launch its first military spy satellite soon.
\nAs per international media reports,\u00a0South Korea\u2019s military said it detected a missile launched from North Korea\u2019s capital region around 2:50am local time on Sunday (17:50 GMT on Saturday). The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile travelled about 400km (250 miles) before falling into the water between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
\nThe Joint Chiefs of Staff called the launch \u201ca grave provocation\u201d that hurts peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and around the world. It said South Korea closely monitors North Korean moves in coordination with the US and maintains readiness to deal with any provocations.
\nThe US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that the launch highlights \u201cthe destabilising impact\u201d of North Korea\u2019s unlawful weapons programmes. It said US commitments to defend South Korea and Japan \u201cremain ironclad\u201d.
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