North Korea Discusses 'Strengthening Nuclear War Deterrence'... US Security Advisor Says "If You Want a Great Economy, You Must Give Up Nukes"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Robert O'Brien, the U.S. National Security Advisor at the White House, pressured that North Korea must abandon its nuclear program if it wants a prosperous economy.

On the 24th (local time), in an interview with CBS News, Advisor O'Brien responded to questions regarding North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un convening an expanded meeting of the Central Military Commission to discuss measures to strengthen nuclear war deterrence.

Advisor O'Brien said, "We have avoided conflict with North Korea for three and a half years, and President Donald Trump has engaged in diplomacy with Kim Jong-un," adding, "If North Korea wants to rejoin the international community and have a prosperous economy, they must abandon their nuclear program."

He also expressed his intention to closely monitor the situation in North Korea and consider appropriate responses. O'Brien stated, "We are dealing with a very closed society," and "We are watching everything from both North Korea's open sources and our intelligence agencies, and will appropriately adjust our response."

The previous day, North Korea's state media, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), reported, "The 7th Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party held its 4th expanded meeting," and "Comrade Kim Jong-un presided over the meeting." The Party Central Military Commission is the body that directs all military affairs in North Korea and oversees the entire defense sector. The date of the meeting was not disclosed.

The agency reported that at this meeting, "New policies were presented to further strengthen the country's nuclear war deterrence and to operate strategic forces in a highly dynamic state in accordance with the overall requirements for building and developing national armed forces," but did not specify details.

It also stated, "Significant measures were taken to decisively enhance the firepower strike capability of the Korean People's Army artillery." Since the beginning of the year, Kim Jong-un has personally observed and directed artillery unit training several times, expressing his determination to strengthen artillery forces.

Furthermore, the agency conveyed, "A series of biases appearing in the military-political activities of the armed forces were comprehensively analyzed and summarized, and issues hindering decisive improvements were reviewed. Problems related to unreasonable organizational and structural defects in the armed forces' composition were examined and corrected. Core issues for rapidly developing self-defensive national defense capabilities and organizing new units to further complete military deterrence against threatening external forces were discussed."

KCNA reported that Kim Jong-un personally signed seven orders, including orders on new military measures, organizational reform plans to enhance the responsibilities and roles of important military educational institutions, orders to reorganize the military command system in line with the missions and duties of security agencies, and orders to promote the military ranks of commanding officers.

Personnel changes in the Party Central Military Commission and senior military leadership were also made at this meeting.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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