Pyongyang has increased missile testing and military shows in the face of delayed disarmament talks with the United States.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Tuesday, while witnessing a massive military parade that featured intercontinental ballistic missiles and other weapons, that the country’s nuclear arsenal will be developed faster.

The parade took place Monday night amid festivities for North Korea’s military forces’ founding anniversary, according to the state news agency KCNA. It comes as Pyongyang has increased missile testing and military shows in the face of delayed disarmament talks with the US and a new conservative government in South Korea.

There are evidence of new building at North Korea’s only known nuclear test site, which has been formally shuttered since 2018, according to US and South Korean authorities, implying Pyongyang is prepared to resume nuclear weapons testing.
“Our republic’s nuclear forces should be fully prepared to execute their responsible task and deploy their unique deterrent at any time,” Kim said, according to KCNA.

The North’s nuclear force’s primary objective is to deter conflict, but its employment “can never be limited to a single mission,” he stressed.

“If any forces attempt to violate our state’s core interests, our nuclear forces will be forced to carry out an unexpected second mission,” Kim stated.