North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un stated during an inspection of the Kim Jong Il University of Military and Politics on Wednesday (Apr 10) that the country should be more prepared for war than ever due to the unstable geopolitical situations surrounding it.
According to a report by the news agency KCNA, the university is considered the “highest seat of military education” in North Korea. Kim conveyed to the university staff that if the enemy were to engage in military confrontation with North Korea, the country would swiftly and decisively retaliate by mobilizing all available means.
State media quoted Kim on Thursday as saying, “Outlining the complicated international situation … and the uncertain and unstable military and political situation around the DPRK, he said that now is the time to be more thoroughly prepared for a war than ever before.”
Kim’s comments came as North Korea successfully test-fired a new hypersonic missile on Tuesday, marking the latest advancement in their plan to use solid fuel for missiles of all ranges.
KCNA reported that Kim oversaw the launch of the Hwasong-16B missile, calling it a strategic weapon that demonstrates the “absolute superiority” of Pyongyang’s defense technology.
Kim stated that this development would enable North Korea to “rapidly, accurately, and powerfully strike any target on the enemy side
Kim stated that this development would enable North Korea to “rapidly, accurately, and powerfully strike any target on the enemy side worldwide.”
The missile launch was met with immediate condemnation from South Korea, Japan, and the United States. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) mentioned that the launch likely aimed to test the missile’s flight performance in its early developmental stages. However, the missile exaggerated several specifications, from flight range to a delay in igniting the second-stage engine and quickly changing flight orbit.