North Korea Moves to Expand Nuclear Forces and Modernize Military Capabilities
North Korea's Strategic Military Developments
SEOUL, July 10 (Reuters) - North Korea has decided on measures to strengthen its nuclear forces "quantitatively and qualitatively" as leader Kim Jong Un called for modernising its military, state media KCNA reported on Friday.
Central Military Commission Meeting Insights
The measures and Kim's remarks came during an enlarged meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Military Commission on Thursday, KCNA said.
Kim Jong Un's Vision for Security and Peace
Kim said North Korea's security and "true peace" could only be guaranteed by building a powerful military capable of controlling all threats, according to the report.
Plans for Military Modernization
The meeting set plans to renew the technical infrastructure of combat systems, expand and strengthen nuclear forces, and standardise, specialise and modernise military bases, KCNA said.
Expansion of Intelligence and Naval Capabilities
Reconnaissance General Bureau's Enhanced Role
It also discussed expanding the role of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, North Korea's military intelligence agency, to improve its reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering capabilities, the report added.
Naval Base and Shipyard Upgrades
Transformation of the North Korean Navy
KCNA said the meeting addressed the construction of modern naval bases and upgrades to shipyard capacity, reflecting what it called a major change in the status and role of the navy.
(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Mark Porter and Jamie Freed)
