Seoul, Sep 13: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said Pyongyang will unveil a policy of simultaneously pursuing nuclear forces and conventional weapons at the North's upcoming party congress, state media reported on Saturday.

Kim made the remarks during his inspection of the armoured defensive weapons institute and the electronic weapons institute under the Academy of Defence Sciences on Thursday and Friday, reports Yonhap, quoting the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The North's leader stressed the need to continue to "modernise" the conventional armed forces to build a powerful army as he reviewed the development of new armoured vehicles and electronic weapons.

Kim said, "The ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) would put forward the policy of simultaneously pushing forward the building of nuclear forces and conventional armed forces in the field of building up national defence," the KCNA said.

North Korea earlier said it approved a plan to convene the ninth party congress at the WPK's plenary meeting in June, without disclosing other details.

North Korea's last party congress, a key party event held every five years, was held in January 2021, where the regime unveiled a list of sophisticated weapons Kim had vowed to develop, including military spy satellites and solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles.

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Kim's latest remarks indicate that North Korea will further spur the development of conventional weapons, together with its nuclear and missile programs, given that South Korea has a relative upper hand in terms of conventional military firepower.

During the inspection of the institutes, Kim learned in detail about research in the field of armoured defence, including the development of special composite armour and an "intelligent active protection system" related to armoured vehicles, the KCNA said.

He also inspected a comprehensive operation test of a new type of "active protection system against the frontal, lateral and upper attack by live firing of anti-tank missiles of various kinds," it noted.

In May, the North's leader visited a tank factory, stressing that replacing existing armoured weapons with advanced tanks and armoured vehicles is "the most important issue in the building of armed forces and modernisation of the army."

Meanwhile, Kim oversaw a shooting contest on Friday between troops of the sniper subunits belonging to the metropolitan garrison command and the special mobile force of the central security organ, the KCNA said in a separate dispatch.

"Referring to the impact of expanding the sphere of snipers' activities on the overall military activities of our army, Kim repeatedly stressed the need to systematically train the special sniper force and intensify their activities," the report said.

Since North Korea has sent around 15,000 troops to support Russia's war with Ukraine, the North's leader has highlighted the need to modernise conventional weapons and strengthen field training, as well as combat capabilities.

(IANS/NS)

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