Despite biting sanctions, North Korea has doubled down on Kim's military modernisation drive, test-firing a slew of banned weapons this year while ignoring US offers of talks.
Kim told top military officers that to "maintain the absolute superiority" of North Korea's armed forces, the country should be able to "preemptively and thoroughly contain and frustrate all dangerous attempts and threatening moves... if necessary," the official KCNA news agency reported.
Pyongyang should continue to build up its arsenal so that it can have the "overwhelming military muscle that no force in the world can provoke," Kim said, calling it the "lifeline guaranteeing the security of our country".
The leader's comments followed similar remarks at a military parade on Monday, when he said he could use his atomic arsenal if North Korea's "fundamental interests" were threatened.
Kim made his latest comments at a meeting with top brass to praise their work on Monday's parade, which commemorated the 90th anniversary of the country's armed forces and showcased its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Despite biting sanctions, North Korea has doubled down on Kim's military modernisation drive, test-firing a slew of banned weapons this year while ignoring US offers of talks.
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