Kim Jong-Un is reportedly ramping up North Korea’s nuclear programme and he has ordered the military to ensure his missiles are combat ready.
Military officials have been told they should be ready to execute his orders “at any time”, according to a high-ranking source.
The order was issued this week and troops were put on alert, before the secretive communist state celebrated the birthday of its founder Kim Il-Sung, at an event known as the Sun Festival.
One source close to the regime claims it is unusual for such an order to be issued during the week of the festival, reports The Sun.
Reports suggest another short-range ballistic missiles test could be carried out in the coming weeks, after a satellite image, published by 38 North, revealed a recently modified missile test barge had returned to a shipyard in a major military hub this week.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Short-range misses were fired into the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea during weapons test in March, for the first time after US President Joe Biden took office.
The UN Security Council has banned North Korea from testing these powerful weapons, but it has ignored that order on numerous occasions.
There are growing concerns about advances in North Korea’s military technology and experts believe the country is ramping up its nuclear programme.
A worrying report published by a Korean think tank, called the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, states North Korea could have 200 nuclear weapons and several dozen intercontinental ballistic missiles by 2027.
The report states the United States and South Korea are “not prepared” to deal with the “developing North Korean nuclear weapon threat”.
It also states their attempts to stop the rogue state from expanding its nuclear arsenal, through a series of negotiations, has “failed”.
It says Mr Kim “appears to be building a nuclear weapon force capable of enabling peninsula dominance” and the US and South Korea need to develop “enhanced” defences to “sustain deterrence now”.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
In January, country revealed it had a new submarine launched ballistic missile, which the state media described as “the world’s most powerful weapon”.
The missile was unveiled at a parade, that was overseen by Mr Kim, weeks after he described the USA as his country’s “biggest enemy”.
According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, he said: “Our foreign political activities should be focused and redirected on subduing the US.”
After the missile tests in March, President Biden said “there will be responses” if North Korea choose to “escalate” he will engage in diplomatic negotiations they are “conditioned upon the end result of denuclearisation”.
However, the White House claims North Korea has not engaged in talks since Biden took office.