North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for strengthening the military's "deadly and destructive offensive posture" after overseeing a series of major weapons tests, state media reported Friday. The announcement came as South Korea unveiled plans to significantly expand its drone warfare capabilities.
The latest developments reflect continued tensions on the Korean Peninsula, where Kim has been pushing to enhance both North Korea's nuclear and conventional military strength while rejecting efforts to resume talks with South Korea and the United States.
According to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim observed weapons tests on Thursday that assessed the performance of a special mission warhead for a tactical ballistic missile, an upgraded multiple rocket launcher and extended-range artillery shells fired from a self-propelled howitzer.
KCNA said Kim described the test results as proof of North Korea's technological advances in improving its military firepower along the southern border. The report suggested the tested weapons are intended to target locations in South Korea, including US military bases stationed there.