•  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued an order to improve the nation’s defence capabilities.
• Due to the mounting rumor that Pyongyang may perform its first nuclear test in five years
• Top leaders “approved a crucial subject of giving a military guarantee for further strengthening the country’s war deterrent,”

As he concluded a crucial meeting with senior military leaders, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued an order to improve the nation’s defence capabilities, according to state media on Friday, sparking worries about the potential inclusion of tactical nuclear weapons.

Due to mounting rumours that Pyongyang may perform its first nuclear test in five years, which U.S. and South Korean officials have suggested might happen at “any time” now, the meeting has drawn a lot of attention.

Top leaders “approved a crucial subject of giving a military guarantee for further strengthening the country’s war deterrent,” according to official KCNA media, at the three-day Enlarged Meeting of the 8th Central Military Commission, which Kim presided over.

North Korea mentioned upgrading its war plans during the meeting for the first time and declared it has chosen to strengthen the operational responsibilities of its frontline forces with “an essential military action plan.”

Analysts noted that KCNA made no further mention of the proposal, which appears to be directed toward South Korea.

“North Korea could have added the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons in its new operation plans given the use of the term war deterrent which it uses to refer to nuclear capabilities,” Hong Min, a senior fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, said.

On Thursday, KCNA published an image showing the North’s senior leaders conferring with a map of what looked to be the Korean Peninsula’s east coast, which is where South Korea’s nuclear power reactors are situated.

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