North Korea's Kim discusses military capability as US deadline approaches

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a meeting with top military officials to discuss strengthening the country's military capabilities, state news media reported. The meeting was called to discuss Pyongyang's year-end deadline that it gave to the United States to end what it says is a policy of hostility. Reportedly, Kim also discussed the way to bolster up the country's overall armed forces bot politically and militarily. 

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US-North Korea relations

Reports also suggest the meeting was held to discuss the growing concern that North Korea may be about to return to confrontation with the United States. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump have met three times since their first meeting in June 2018 but failed to reach any substantive progress in dialogue after Pyongyang demanded international sanctions be lifted first. 

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The fresh round of tensions sparked after North Korea carried out a series of long-range missile tests at its Sohae rocket facility this month. United States special envoy to North Korea, Stephen Beigun recently visited Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo and was supposed to meet North Korean officials there but he failed to secure a meeting with them. While in Seoul, Beigun challenged North Korea to restart discussions and warned that any provocative missile test will be most unhelpful in achieving lasting peace on the Korean peninsula. 

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The United States is a major ally of Japan and South Korea in the region and wants North Korea to denuclearise the Korean peninsula. United States also fought a war against North Korea in the 1950s. Donald Trump became the first US president to meet a Noth Korean leader last year but the meeting didn't turn out to be a success as the denuclearisation process has not yet started. North Korea has demanded the lifting of international sanctions first which the United States is not willing to accept. 

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