North Korea’s leader vowed to bolster his nuclear weapons capabilities exponentially and prepare his troops for combat, as he accused the US and its allies of expanding a “nuclear-based military bloc” in the region.

In a speech marking the 76th founding anniversary of his country, Kim Jong Un said he will get his nuclear force “fully ready for combat”, and there’s no limit to how much he will expand his military muscle, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Tuesday.

“We are now perfectly carrying out the policy on building the nuclear armed forces on increasing the number of nuclear weapons by geometrical progression,” Kim said, characterising the task as a “duty and right to existence”.

The pledge comes as Pyongyang seeks to counter South Korea’s moves to strengthen its defence partnership with the US and Japan after the three nations signed a pact on military training in July. The agreement built on a major trilateral summit hosted by President Joe Biden at Camp David in August of 2023.

North Korea last month said it would deploy to frontline military units 250 new mobile launchers for ballistic missiles that can deliver nuclear strikes on its neighbour to the south and US forces stationed there, in one of its biggest displays of its rocket prowess under Kim. It followed the missile initiative by unveiling new suicide attack drones.

North Korea may be considering a nuclear test near the time of the November US presidential election to raise its profile, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s national security adviser Shin Wonsik said in July, when he was serving as the defence minister.

In his remarks this week, Kim said North Korea “secured wonderful military strength by making important achievements” in “recent months”, without elaborating.

On Sunday, North Korea unveiled a new 12-axled missile launcher, generating speculation over a new intercontinental ballistic missile.

North Korea has lashed out at joint military drills between the US and South Korea, and sent thousands of trash-laden balloons across the border in recent months. 

“The DPRK will steadily strengthen its nuclear force capable of fully coping with any threatening acts imposed by its nuclear-armed rival states,” Kim said, using the acronym for the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. 

On the economy, Kim said crop harvests have been good so far this year despite severe flood damage in the northern region.

The city of Sinuiju, a trade hub connected to China by bridge, and the nearby county of Uiju were hit by torrential rains and floods in the last week of July. The downpours damaged about 4,100 homes, swept over roads and rail links, and wiped out about 3,000 hectares of farmland, according to North Korean state media reports.

The exact number of casualties was not immediately known, but South Korean media outlets have said at least hundreds were estimated to have been killed, citing government sources they did not identify. North Korean media hasn’t mentioned any deaths. 

  - Bloomberg