North Korea's Kim Jong Un Orders Acceleration of War Preparations

Move Comes Amid Expanding Ties with Russia and Ongoing Food Shortages

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the country's military, munitions industry, and nuclear weapons sector to accelerate war preparations in response to what he calls unprecedented confrontational moves by the U.S.
Kim's comments came during an annual multi-day meeting of North Korea’s ruling party, the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), where North Korean officials outline policy objectives for the following year.
North Korea has been expanding ties with Russia, as Washington accuses Pyongyang of supplying military equipment to Moscow for use in its war with Ukraine, while Russia provides technical support to help the North advance its military capabilities.
Kim also laid out economic goals for the new year, calling it a “decisive year” to accomplish the country’s five-year development plan and stressing the importance of agriculture.
North Korea has suffered serious food shortages in recent decades, including famine in the 1990s, often as a result of natural disasters. International experts have warned that border closures during the Covid-19 pandemic worsened food security.