SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared his intention to strengthen nuclear capabilities during a military parade in Pyongyang on Tuesday, according to state media.

According to Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA),  Kim pledged to develop the country's nuclear capabilities at "the fastest rate" during his speech at the parade commemorating the Korean People's Revolutionary Army's (KPRA) 90th founding anniversary on Monday night

The  KPRA is an anti-Japanese guerilla army founded by national founder Kim Il-sung in 1932. The North will undertake extensive preparations to use nuclear "deterrence" at any time, the incumbent leader said

"Our main role in terms of nuclear power is to deter conflict, but our nuclear weapons cannot be confined entirely to the goal of preventing a war until a circumstance arises that we never expect to see in this country." He also stated that any forces seeking a military conflict will be rendered obsolete, and that the North is "thoroughly equipped" to carry out its nuclear deterrence duty at any time.

The procession at the Kim Il Sung was supposed to start earlier in the day, but it was cancelled due to rain forecasts. A reliable source said it finally started m at around 10 p.m.

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