North Korea decides on measures to expand nuclear forces, state media reports

North Korea Leader Kim Jung Un inspects the new ‘naval destroyer’ launching sea-to-surface cruise missiles.

SEOUL — North Korea has decided on measures to strengthen its nuclear forces “quantitatively and qualitatively” as leader Kim Jong Un called for modernizing its military, state media KCNA reported on Friday.

The measures and Kim’s remarks came during an enlarged meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Military Commission on Thursday, KCNA said. Kim said North Korea’s security and “true peace” could only be guaranteed by building a powerful military capable of controlling all threats, according to the report.

The meeting set plans to renew the technical infrastructure of combat systems, expand and strengthen nuclear forces, and standardize, specialize and modernize military bases, KCNA said.

It also discussed expanding the role of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, North Korea’s military intelligence agency, to improve its reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering capabilities, the report added.

KCNA said the meeting addressed the construction of modern naval bases and upgrades to shipyard capacity, reflecting what it called a major change in the status and role of the navy.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Mark Porter and Jamie Freed)