Kim Jong Un of North Korea says, “It’s time to be ready for war” as hostilities with other countries rise

Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said during an inspection of a military institution on Thursday that, given the uncertain geopolitical conditions around his nation, now is the moment to be better prepared for war than ever. now was reported by state-run media KCNA. This occurs at a time when Pyongyang’s hostilities with the US and South Korea, its rivals, are growing as a result of their ongoing joint military exercises, which North Korea views as a practice invasion.

At the “highest seat of military education” in the nation, the Kim Jong Il University of Military and Politics, which bears the name of Kim’s father, who passed away in 2011, Kim provided field advice on Wednesday, according to KCNA. He assured the students and staff of the institution that “if the enemy opts for a military confrontation with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), the DPRK will deal a death blow to the enemy without hesitation by mobilising all means in its possession” .

“Outlining the complicated international situation … and the uncertain and unstable military and political situation around the DPRK, he said that now is the time to be more thoroughly prepared for a war than ever before,” according to KCNA. Under Kim, North Korea has increased its weapons development and established stronger military and diplomatic connections with Russia, reportedly supporting Moscow in its conflict with Ukraine in exchange for assistance with vital military projects.

Tensions arising between North Korea’s adversaries
As the allies have been conducting military manoeuvres with increasing rigour and scope in recent months, North Korea has accused the US and South Korea of inciting military tensions by engaging in what it dubbed “war manoeuvres”. In an effort to prepare for nuclear confrontation with its neighbours and the United States, Pyongyang said last week that it had successfully tested a new hypersonic intermediate-range missile using solid propellants. This test is the most recent in a series of weapons tests the country has conducted.

In response, the US and South Korea have increased the scope of their trilateral exercises and joint training with Japan and improved their deterrent tactics, which centre on key US assets. As North Korea increases its rhetoric about nuclear weapons, the nations have also threatened to promptly strike against any assault by the country, further escalating tensions.

Seoul’s Defence Ministry said last week that South Korea, the US, and Japan had conducted a joint aviation drill over seas close to Jeju island, using at least one US B-52 bomber with nuclear capability. The announcement came only hours after North Korea launched its missile. In a show of force against North Korea, the US has been stepping up the deployment of strategic assets to the area in recent months. These assets include aircraft carriers and missile-firing submarines.

Furthermore, a few days after North Korea reiterated its intention to launch many surveillance satellites this year, South Korea sent its second military spy satellite into orbit. Amid growing hostilities, the Koreas launched their first spy satellites last year, in North Korea in November and South Korea in December. By 2025, South Korea was supposed to launch five surveillance satellites as part of an agreement with SpaceX.

What is the goal of North Korea?
Significantly, Pyongyang has been developing hypersonic missiles since 2021. If successful in their manoeuvrability and speed, these weapons might threaten regional missile defence systems. The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea acknowledged that the North was making technological progress, but they also said that the North had exaggerated the missile’s ability to fly.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff texted reporters, saying, “Hypersonic missiles are weapons systems that are still being developed by advanced nations (the United States, China, and Russia, etc.), and they require highly difficult technologies.” “It’s difficult to predict when they will be operationally deployed, but it’s anticipated to take some time.”

Tensions increased after the end of US-South Korean military exercises last month, when North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles as part of a resumed weapons test. The launches marked the first of North Korea’s known missile testing operations in around a month. Prior to the US presidential election in November, experts had projected that North Korea would increase its military rhetoric and continue testing missiles in an effort to increase its diplomatic leverage.