• Kim also established objectives for strengthening self-defense in 2023.
• He outlined the foreign policy tenets and the strategy for combating the enemy.
• Scores of ballistic missiles were launched by Pyongyang this year.

On the second day of a crucial Workers’ Party meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presented new military objectives for his nation that appear to portend another year of frequent nuclear testing and regional unrest, according to state media.

Kim evaluated the “newly formed hard situation” on the Korean Peninsula as well as the larger political landscapes on day two of the meeting on Wednesday, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

According to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, Kim also established objectives for strengthening self-defense in 2023 and the direction for the “anti-enemy struggle.”

He outlined the foreign policy tenets and the strategy for combating the enemy that our party and government must adhere to in full order to uphold sovereign rights and safeguard national interests, according to KCNA.

According to North Korea’s official news agency, “new key goals for boosting self-defensive capabilities to be aggressively pursued in 2023 have been announced in readiness for varied changes in the political environment.”

The self-defense objectives were not further described by KCNA, but Kim’s comments suggest he may keep accelerating and expanding the nation’s military capabilities.

The high-level meeting in Pyongyang is taking place as tensions on the Korean Peninsula have risen significantly over the past year as a result of North Korea’s unprecedented weapons tests, extensive military drills involving South Korean and American forces, and the Monday incursion of North Korean drones into South Korea, which prompted Seoul to scramble fighter jets and attack helicopters in an unsuccessful attempt to shoot them down.

Scores of ballistic missiles were launched by Pyongyang this year, many of which were intended to test and develop “high priority” strategic weapons as part of a five-year plan unveiled at the Workers’ Party convention in early 2021.

The plan calls for the development of a new intercontinental ballistic missile, tactical nuclear weapons, hypersonic gliding flight warheads, nuclear-powered submarines, and a military reconnaissance satellite.

According to KCNA, Kim also identified “a series of significant flaws” in this year’s research, education, and health sectors during the plenary meeting, offered solutions, and outlined important responsibilities for the following year.

The economy is also a top priority, as Kim is under increasing strain from international sanctions, the effects of a COVID-19 lockdown nationwide, and natural calamities.

On Thursday, the meeting will go into a third day.

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