North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ratcheted up tensions by ordering full nuclear attack alert after a strategic cruise missile test, state media KCNA said on Friday.
The missile launch conducted Wednesday over sea off North Korea’s west coast was intended to showcase its ability to use the nuclear weapon against perceived threats, Reuters reported. According to KCNA, Kim said nuclear capabilities have become “the most powerful and perfect deterrence and defense capacity,”.
The development comes amid ongoing tensions with the US and South Korea, where Kim accused “enemies” of taking a step up in confrontation in the region. North Korea’s leader stressed that keeping nuclear forces always at battle-readiness is a “decorous duty” for defending national sovereignty. 
South Korea’s military had confirmed it detected moves for the launch of a missile and followed rockets around 8am local time on Wednesday. Though strategic cruise missiles are not specifically outlawed by U.N. resolutions, their nuclear delivery capability carries international concerns.
This latest provocation coincides with Kim ups military visits, boosting ideological and tactical training for junior officers. His talk stays defiant after past diplomatic steps, including historic summits with former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The world remains on high alert, as North Korea presses forward with nuclear and missile development despite increasing global worry about security.
