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By Kim Hyo-jin
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to make the country the world's strongest nuclear power based on its "completed" nuclear program, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Wednesday.
The North's state media said Kim called the country's last launch of a long-range ballistic missile "a great historic victory" during his speech at the Conference of the Munitions Industry. The two-day annual event ended Tuesday.
"The development of new strategic weapon systems including the A-bomb, H-bomb and ICBM Hwasong-15 with indigenous efforts and technology and the realization of the great cause of completing the state nuclear force serve as a great historic victory of our Party and people of the country achieved by the death-defying struggle at the cost of a high price," Kim was quoted by the KCNA as saying.
The KCNA reported the young leader indicated the goal of making the country "the world's strongest nuclear power and military power," laying out tasks for this; but did not elaborate.
"He set forth long-term objectives, primary objectives, strategic tasks and important tasks to be fulfilled to develop the country's defense industry into the ultra-modern self-supporting defense industry in the 21st century, true to the line of Juche, and made clear the ways to do so," it said.
"He expressed belief that the scientists of the national defense industry and workers of munitions would bolster the nuclear force in quality and quantity, manufacture more new weapons and equipment of Korean style and thus fulfill their honorable mission and duty."
Kim awarded citations to the developers of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile at the conference, the KCNA said, celebrating the successful launch of the missile on Nov. 29.
This was the first time for Pyongyang to make the event public since its inception, according to a unification ministry official.
Nam Sung-wook, a unification and diplomacy professor at Korea University, viewed Kim's remarks as a show of intent that he will deploy nuclear weapons and build a system for mass production.
Analysts say the North is preparing for another nuclear test and missile provocation with a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
According to 38 North, a U.S. website specializing in North Korea-related issues, Monday, there has been a renewed high level of activity at its main nuclear test site in Punggye-ri including the routine presence of vehicles and personnel.
"These activities suggest that tunnel excavation is underway at the West Portal, as the North Koreans expand the site's potential for future nuclear testing," it said.
The U.S. is closely watching the isolated country over a possible SLBM Launch, U.S. Department of Defense spokesman Robert Manning said Monday. It came as a response to a reporter's question on the Japanese daily Tokyo Shimbun's article that North Korea has completed the development of five prototypes for an upgraded SLBM and will likely test one soon.
