Kim Jong Un threatens to destroy U.S. and South Korean capitals

"Our army must ruthlessly thwart the provocations of the enemies. If the adversaries opt for an anti-republican military confrontation, we should without the slightest hesitation deliver a devastating blow, completely annihilating the enemy's capitals and the pack of military gangsters, deploying the full arsenal of super-powerful means," stated Kim Jong Un.

The North Korean leader expressed confidence that the year 2024 will be the "heyday of war preparedness."

DPRK's military activities

North Korea consistently asserts its undeniable status as a nuclear state and regularly conducts ballistic missile launches towards the East and Yellow Seas.

Earlier on December 18, it was reported that North Korea allegedly launched a short-range ballistic missile towards the East Sea. A few hours later, Pyongyang conducted its second missile test. In response, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida convened a National Security Council meeting.

In the context of this series of missile tests, the United States and South Korea are working on a comprehensive nuclear defense strategy, aiming to establish an integrated deterrence system against North Korea's nuclear weapons by the middle of next year. Specifically, they plan to finalize the development of a comprehensive instruction on how to collectively restrain and respond to the nuclear threat posed by North Korea by 2024.

On December 23, it was reported that South Korea conducted independent exercises simulating a nuclear attack by North Korea, as part of efforts to refine the country's response capabilities to military threats from the North.

Notably, back in August, North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, urged the country's military leadership to better prepare for war.