North Korea's leader has called on the military to arm nuclear deterrents

 North Korea's leader has called on the military to arm nuclear deterrents

North Korea's leader has called on the military to arm nuclear deterrents

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered his military to be ready, allowing the immediate deployment of nuclear war deterrents, Yonhap news agency reported Thursday.

The leader of the isolated communist country has said his country is ready for any military confrontation with the United States, while efforts to bring the two countries closer have weakened.

The agency added that Kim had warned the government of South Korean President Yoon Sok-kyol and his military of destruction if they made "dangerous" attempts.

North Korea has conducted a record number of missile tests this year, including its largest ever ICBM, and there are fears it could test a nuclear weapon for the first time since 2017.