Kim Jong Un: NATO attempting to form 'Asian version of NATO'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
1 Jan 2023 18:55
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DPRK leader emphasizes the urgent necessity of strengthening the Asian nation's defense capabilities amid heightened tensions with South Korea.

DPRK leader Kim Jong Un

DPRK leader Kim Jong-Un accused the US of trying to form an "Asian version of NATO" under the pretext of reinforcing cooperation with South Korea and Japan, local sources reported on Sunday.

"In 2022 the US frequently deployed various nuclear strike means in South Korea at the level of constant deployment, increasing the level of military pressure on the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] to the maximum. And, at the same time, it is pushing forward the realization of triangular cooperation with Japan and South Korea on a full scale while working hard to establish a new military bloc like an Asian version of NATO under the signboard of a ‘tightening alliance," Kim Jong Un said in a report on the Workers' Party of Korea plenary meeting.

Kim further emphasized the urgent necessity of strengthening DPRK's defense capabilities amid heightened tensions with South Korea.

He said the country must "overwhelmingly boost up the military muscle" in 2023 in response to “US and South Korean hostility”.

He accused Washington and Seoul of carrying out “a plot to isolate and stifle” Pyongyang, which is “unparalleled in human history."

“It highlights the importance and necessity of mass producing tactical nuclear weapons and calls for an exponential increase of the country’s nuclear arsenal,” Kim stressed.

Over the past year, DPRK has conducted nearly 40 test launches, firing approximately 70 missiles, including an intercontinental ballistic missile test in November.

This comes against the backdrop of strained relations between the two nations amid South Korea's provocative military drills with the US and Japan in the Korean peninsula.

On December 6, 2022, the Pentagon announced that the US Congress approved a $1.5 billion deal to sell CH-47 Chinook helicopters and related equipment to South Korea.

On December 28, the South Korean Defense Ministry confirmed plans to increase its military budget by 331.4 trillion won ($261 billion) for a span of the next five years - bringing the annual expenditure up by an average of 6.8%.