N Korea’s Kim Jong-un vows to deal ‘death-blow’ to enemy in event of confrontation

SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to mobilise all means to deal a “death-blow” to the country’s enemy without hesitation should it opt for military confrontation with North Korea, state media said on Thursday.

Kim made the remark during his visit to the Kim Jong-il University of Military and Politics on Wednesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said as quoted by Yonhap news agency report.

“He said that now is the time to be more thoroughly prepared for a war than ever before and that North Korea should be more firmly and perfectly prepared for a war, which should be won without fail, not just for a possible war,” the KCNA added.

Kim was also quoted as instructing the university to nurture new military talents who are absolutely loyal to the party central committee and are capable of overwhelming the enemy with “ideological, mental, militant, moral and tactical superiority,” it said.

North Korea has been ramping up weapons tests this year, including launches of cruise missiles from both sea and land and firing drills involving super-large multiple rocket launchers.

Last week, it claimed to have successfully test-fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile tipped with a hypersonic warhead, saying that all missiles the country has developed are solid-fuel, nuclear capable with warhead control capability.