North Korea's Kim calls for rapid nuclear buildup amid US-South Korea exercises
SEOUL - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country needed to rapidly expand its nuclear armament and called US-South Korea military exercises an "obvious expression of their will to provoke war," state media KCNA reported on Tuesday.
South Korea and its ally the United States kicked off joint military drills this week, including testing an upgraded response to heightened North Korean nuclear threats.
Pyongyang regularly criticizes such drills as rehearsals for invasion and sometimes responds with weapons tests, but Seoul and Washington say they are purely defensive.
The 11-day annual exercises, called Ulchi Freedom Shield, will be on a similar scale to 2024 but adjusted by rescheduling 20 out of 40 field training events to September, South Korea's military said earlier. Those delays come as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says he wants to ease tensions with North Korea, though analysts are skeptical about Pyongyang's response.
The exercises were a "clear expression of ... their intention to remain most hostile and confrontational" to North Korea, Kim said during his visit to a navy destroyer on Monday, according to KCNA's English translation of his remarks.
He said the security environment required the North to "rapidly expand" its nuclear armament, noting that recent US-South Korea exercises involved a "nuclear element".
Efforts by the United States and its allies to tackle North Korea's development of nuclear weapons are expected to be discussed at an upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Washington.
"Through this move, North Korea is demonstrating its refusal to accept denuclearization and the will to irreversibly upgrade nuclear weapons," said Hong Min, North Korea analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
A report by the Federation of American Scientists last year concluded that while North Korea may have produced enough fissile material to build up to 90 nuclear warheads, it had likely assembled closer to 50.
North Korea plans to build a third 5,000-tonne Choe Hyon-class destroyer by October next year and is testing cruise and anti-air missiles for those warships. —Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
4 hours ago
- GMA Network
Israel approves settlement plan to ‘erase' idea of Palestinian state
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and a woman hold a map that shows the long-frozen E1 settlement scheme that would split East Jerusalem from the occupied West Bank, during a press conference near the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, August 14, 2025. REUTERS/ Ronen Zvulun/ File photo JERUSALEM — A widely condemned Israeli settlement plan that would cut across land which the Palestinians seek for a state received final approval on Wednesday, according to a statement from Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The approval of the E1 project, which would bisect the occupied West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, was announced last week by Smotrich and received final go-ahead from a defense ministry planning commission on Wednesday, he said. Restarting the project could further isolate Israel, which has watched some Western allies frustrated by its continuation and planned escalation of the Gaza war announce they may recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September. "With E1 we are delivering finally on what has been promised for years," Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist in the ruling right-wing coalition, said in a statement. "The Palestinian state is being erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions." The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the announcement on Wednesday, saying that the E1 settlement would isolate Palestinian communities living in the area and undermines the possibility of a two-state solution. A German government spokesperson commenting on the announcement told reporters on Wednesday that settlement construction violates international law and "hinders a negotiated two-state solution and an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not commented on the E1 announcement. However on Sunday, during a visit to Ofra, another West Bank settlement established a quarter of a century ago, he made broader comments, saying: "I said 25 years ago that we will do everything to secure our grip on the Land of Israel, to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, to prevent the attempts to uproot us from here. Thank God, what I promised, we have delivered." The two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict envisages a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, existing side by side with Israel. Western capitals and campaign groups have opposed the settlement project due to concerns that it could undermine a future peace deal with the Palestinians. The plan for E1, located adjacent to Maale Adumim and frozen in 2012 and 2020 amid objections from the US and European governments, involves construction of about 3,400 new housing units. Infrastructure work could begin within a few months, and house building in about a year, according to Israeli advocacy group Peace Now, which tracks settlement activity in the West Bank. Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the area and saying the settlements provide strategic depth and security. — Reuters
GMA Network
7 hours ago
- GMA Network
Israel calls up tens of thousands of reservists before new Gaza offensive
An Israeli tank maneuvers inside Gaza, infront of destroyed buildings, as viewed from the Israel-Gaza border, March 20, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen TEL AVIV/JERUSALEM/CAIRO — Israel's military called up tens of thousands of reservists on Wednesday in preparation for an expected assault on Gaza City, as the Israeli government considered a new proposal for a ceasefire after nearly two years of war. The call-up signals Israel is pressing ahead with its plan to take control of Gaza's biggest urban hub despite international criticism of an operation likely to force the displacement of many more Palestinians. But a military official briefing reporters said reserve soldiers would not report for duty until September, a move that gives mediators some time to bridge gaps between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel over ceasefire terms. The official said that as part of planning for a new offensive in Gaza there would be five divisions operating in the enclave but most reservists were not expected to serve in combat in Gaza City. "We will be moving into a new phase of combat, a gradual, precise and targeted operation in and around Gaza City, which currently serves as Hamas' main military and governing stronghold," the official said. Israel's security cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, approved a plan this month to expand the campaign in Gaza, with the aim of seizing Gaza City. Many of Israel's closest allies have urged the government to reconsider but Netanyahu is under pressure from some far-right members of his coalition to reject a temporary ceasefire, continue the war and pursue the annexation of Gaza. The war began on October 7, 2023 when gunmen led by Hamas attacked southern Israeli communities, killing some 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and taking 251 hostages including children into Gaza. Over 62,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's campaign, according to Gaza health officials, who do not say how many were militants but have said most of those killed have been women and children. Hamas has accepted a proposal put forward by Arab mediators for a 60-day ceasefire that would involve releasing some of the hostages and freeing Palestinian prisoners in Israel. The Israeli government, which has said all the 50 remaining hostages must be released at once, is studying the proposal. Israeli authorities believe that 20 hostages are still alive. Many Gazans and foreign leaders fear an assault on Gaza City would cause significant casualties. Israel says it will help civilians leave battle zones before any assault begins. Israel strikes Gaza City suburbs Israel's military, which is continuing its campaign in Gaza, struck Gaza City's eastern suburbs overnight in a bombardment which Gaza health authorities said killed at least 19 people. "This time if there is no deal, I am afraid we will all die," Samir Abu Basel, 45, a father of four, told Reuters by telephone from Gaza. "To die here or die wherever they would push us to, all the same. We have lost faith in this world, in our leaders too." Israel's military campaign has caused widespread devastation across the Gaza Strip, which before the war was home to about 2.3 million Palestinians. Many buildings, including homes, schools and mosques have been destroyed, while the military has accused Hamas of operating from within civilian infrastructure. Most Gazans have been displaced multiple times and forced into densely packed areas along the Mediterranean coast, including in Gaza City. Israeli officials have said evacuation orders would be issued to Gaza City residents before any force move in. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees Gaza's only Catholic Church, located in Gaza City, said it had received reports that neighborhoods near the small parish had started to receive evacuation notices. Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for almost two decades, has been severely weakened by the war. The Israeli military says it now controls about 75% of Gaza and that Hamas has been reduced to a guerrilla force. The Israeli military official who briefed reporters on Wednesday said Hamas had been trying to regroup and reform in Gaza City in a more organized manner, but gave no evidence to support the assertion. Polls show strong Israeli public support for ending the war if it ensures the release of the hostages, and a rally in Tel Aviv urging the government to pursue such a deal drew a huge crowd on Saturday. Hamas has said it would release all remaining hostages in exchange for an end to war. Israel says it will not end the war before the Islamist militant group disarms. — Reuters
GMA Network
13 hours ago
- GMA Network
Brawner reminds AFP personnel: Corruption is betrayal of PH flag
Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. speaks to the media during a press briefing at Western Command in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, August 10, 2023. REUTERS/ Eloisa Lopez Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. on Wednesday reminded personnel of the military organization to shun any form of corruption. "Any act of offering, soliciting, or receiving bribes in exchange for favors, contracts, or preferential treatment is a betrayal of the uniform we wear and the flag we serve," Brawner said in a statement. "Such acts violate not only the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials, and AFP regulations—they violate the very essence of our oath. And to this, the AFP's answer is resolute: swift, firm, and uncompromising action," he added. Brawner made the statement following the recent pronouncements of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. against corruption involving flood control projects. "Your AFP stands with the President and the Filipino people, to guard integrity, transparency, and accountability. Our service will never be for sale. Serbisyo para sa bayan, hindi para sa bulsa (Service for the people, not for the pocket)," Brawner said. Commanders and leaders are directed and duty-bound to enforce this policy with accountability extending to those who turn a blind eye, Brawner said. "This reminder is not just a rule but a solemn reaffirmation of the sacred trust placed upon us. Integrity and professionalism are not optional virtues; they are the very heart of what it means to be a soldier, airman, sailor, or marine," he said. "Public office is a public trust. We exist to serve the Filipino people with honor, never to use our position for personal gain," he added. Brawner also called on the public to report any irregularities they encounter in the military organization. During his fourth State of the Nation Address last July, Marcos served notice to government personnel who steal public funds, such as those for flood control projects, that they will be dealt with under the law. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
