N. Korea's Kim Lays out Key Goals to Boost Military Power

At a gathering of senior political figures, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unveiled vague plans to increase his military might in the coming year, according to state media, a sign that he'll keep up his provocative show of weapons.

In the week leading up to Kim's declaration, tensions between North and South Korea had risen considerably after the South accused the North of using drones to cross their shared border for the first time in five years. In what observers describe as an effort to update its arsenal and strengthen its negotiating position with the United States in the future, North Korea has already conducted a record number of missile launches this year.

According to the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim clarified the principles and directions to take in external relations and fights against enemies to protect national interests and sovereignty during the Tuesday session at the ongoing plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party. Kim also analysed new security challenges in international politics and on the Korean Peninsula.

Without going into any detail, KCNA reported that Kim "laid forth new important targets for building the self-reliant defence capability to be pushed forward with in 2023 amid the multilaterally changing environment."

According to some analysts, Kim's efforts to increase his nuclear arsenal and introduce a number of high-tech weapons systems, including multi-warhead missiles, a more manoeuvrable long-range weapon, a spy satellite, and advanced drones, may be connected to the new objectives. They claim that Kim would eventually try to exploit his increased nuclear capabilities to force the North's adversaries to recognise it as a legitimate nuclear state, a status he would believe is necessary to obtain the lifting of international sanctions on his nation.