North Korea is in the “final stage” of developing intercontinental ballistic missiles, and Kim Jong-un said Sunday that the country would greatly strengthen its nuclear deterrent in 2016.
“We are in the final phase of a test firing launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles,” Kim said in a 30-minute television New Year speech, pointing to a series of nuclear and missile tests last year.
He said that Pyongyang’s “rise as a nuclear force” is now “the Eastern military power, even the most powerful enemy can not be touched.” The country conducted two nuclear tests and a number of missile launches in 2016 to achieve its stated objective of developing a weapon system capable of hitting the continental United States with nuclear bombs.
“We have seen a strong feat to strengthen our military forces, including our preparations for launching a test-launch intercontinental ballistic missile, which is in its final stages.
Analysts have told Pyongyang how to achieve all its nuclear ambitions, especially since it has never successfully tested the ICBM differences.
But everyone agrees Pyongyang has made great progress in this direction, because since the December 2011 death of Kim Jong-un, he took over his father.
