Kim Jong Un tells North Korean military to be prepared to use nuclear weapons at any time

Kim Jong Un.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Kim Jong Un has ordered his country to "bolster up its nuclear force both in quality and quantity" and "convert our mode of military counteraction toward the enemies into a preemptive attack one in every aspect," state media reports.

The North Korean leader also said there is a need to "get the nuclear warheads deployed for national defense always on standby so as to be fired any moment," KCNA reports. Tensions are already high, with the United Nations passing its toughest sanctions against the country in two decades on Wednesday, and North Korea retaliating by firing projectiles into the Sea of Japan on Thursday. South Korea says those projectiles flew up to 90 miles. North Korea has threatened preemptive attacks against the United States, South Korea, and Japan in the past, and military experts do not believe the country is capable of launching long-range missiles with miniaturized warheads that can reach the U.S., Reuters reports.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.