North Korean leader reaffirms arms buildup in party meeting

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By KIM TONG-HYUNG

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un doubled down on his arms buildup in the face of what he described as an aggravating security environment while outside governments monitor signs of a possibly imminent North Korean nuclear test explosion.

Kim’s comments during a major three-day political conference that wrapped up Friday didn’t include any direct criticism of the United States or rival South Korea amid a prolonged deadlock in nuclear diplomacy.

Kim defended his accelerating weapons development as a rightful exercise of sovereign rights to self-defense and set forth further “militant tasks” to be pursued by his armed forces and military scientists, according to state-run Korean Central News Agency. The report on Saturday didn’t mention any specific goals or plans regarding testing activity, including the detonation of a nuclear device.

The plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Committee also reviewed key state affairs, including efforts to slow a COVID-19 outbreak the North first acknowledged last month and progress in economic goals Kim is desperate to keep alive amid strengthened virus restrictions.



In this photo provided on Saturday, June 11, 2022 by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Committee held during June 8 - June 10, 2022 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-united-states-north-korea-business-f301ca5264f6c961227cae7448334ef2

[Lovie777]

1. North Korea people are starving . ....

but nuclear weapons is his obession. shithole thinks he is a wonderful person.

[secondwind]

2. I don't know, but this guy doesn't look like Kim Jong Un to me....

[AZLD4Candidate]

3. Jabba the Kim has gone full Idi Amin with body doubles? Wouldn't surprise me.

My only question would be where did he find another North Korean as obese as he is? The country has been literally in a twenty-five year famine.

[paleotn]

5. Only good think about the Kim's....

their life style limits their longevity.

[Warpy]

8. Looks ilike he's listened to his cardiologist

because it looks like he's lost a huge amount of weight. Near death will do that to you.

He still doesn't look all that healthy, but he looks better than he did.

[paleotn]

4. Didn't think they weren't building up.

[Turbineguy]

6. The more people are starving and poor

the more the West will want to steal their misery.

He looks well-nourished at least!

[mpcamb]

7. Hey, North Koreans, Your mouthful of rice just went to Kim's Feel-Good rocket.