North Korea's development of long-range missiles in 'final stages', leader Kim Jong-un says 
 
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 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says his country's development of banned long-range missiles is in its "final stages". 
 
 In a televised New Year's address, Mr Kim said Pyongyang is close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). 
 
 "Research and development of cutting-edge arms equipment is actively progressing and ICBM rocket test launch preparation is in its last stage," Mr Kim said. 
 
 North Korea tested ballistic missiles at an unprecedented rate during 2016, although some experts have said it is years away from developing an ICBM fitted with a nuclear warhead capable of reaching the United States. 
 
 The country has been under UN sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear and ballistic missile tests. 
 
 The sanctions were tightened last month after Pyongyang conducted its fifth and largest nuclear test on September 9. 
 
 In February, North Korea launched a satellite into space, which was widely seen as a test of long-range ballistic missile technology. 
 
 South Korea 'to maintain military readiness' 
 
 Meanwhile in South Korea, Prime Minister and Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn has sought to bolster the military, saying Seoul will spend whatever it takes to support the armed forces. 
 
 "Our people have firm faith in our troops as they maintain stern military readiness with strong willpower," Mr Hwang said in a recorded message for the troops. 
 
 Mr Hwang, who is leading the country following President Park Geun-hye's impeachment, has dismissed calls by the opposition to reconsider a decision to deploy an advanced US missile defence system to cope with North Korean threats. 
 
 The plans to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence system, or THAAD, has angered not only North Korea but also China, which suspects that the system would allow US radar to better track its missiles. 
 
 AP/Reuters 
 
 Topics: defence-and-national-security, world-politics, korea-democratic-people-s-republic-of, korea-republic-of ||||| North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country would continue developing long-range nuclear strike capabilities in 2017, while apologizing for failing to achieve certain goals in 2016, a video recording of his New Year’s Day speech showed on Sunday. 
 
 Pyongyang will reach the final preparation stages for test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Kim said, notable because North Korea has historically suggested its long-range rocket launches are intended solely for satellite launch purposes. 
 
 “The project of test-firing an intercontinental ballistic rocket enters into the final stage, which is included in [the country’s achievement],” Kim said. 
 
 The statement follows remarks by high-profile North Korean diplomatic defector Thae Yong Ho that North Korea intends to complete its nuclear weapons development cycle by the end of 2017. 
 
 Clad in a Western-style suit, Kim further said in his noon speech on Korean Central Television (KCTV) that Pyongyang would become “a powerful country with nuclear weapons” in 2017. 
 
 And Kim further pledged to reinforce North Korea’s self-defense and preemptive strike capabilities by “making nuclear weapons a cornerstone (policy)” as long as the United States and South Korea “continue their nuclear threats” and annual joint military drills. 
 
 APOLOGY AND ANGER 
 
 Unlike his previous New Year’s addresses, the speech was also notable because Kim apologized – to an extent – to North Korean citizens, while also referencing the South Korean president by name. 
 
 “Seeing that another year has started, my heart grows heavy with thoughts on how I may serve our people – the best in the world who trust and supports me with their solidarity – better and higher this year,” Kim Jong Un said towards the end of his address. 
 
 “I have spent the whole year with regrets and a guilty conscience, to see my ability failing to reach what I have planned for the people. This year, I have made up my mind to spur on to greater efforts and to devote all of myself to the people.” 
 
 But Kim criticized the South for driving inter-Korean relations to “the worst phase” and urged Seoul to come up with “aggressive measures” to ease military tensions on the Korean peninsula. 
 
 “The South Korean government should respond to ‘our sincere efforts’ in preventing military collisions between the North and the South and alleviate the state of tension,” Kim said. 
 
 “The ‘adulterine smear campaign against the DPRK and hostile actions,’ with an expectation of regime… change, should be immediately stopped,” Kim added. 
 
 While Kim said he was willing to discuss reconciliation with his South Korean counterpart in his 2016 New Year’s speech, he specifically referenced the name of the now-disgraced South Korean president in Sunday’s speech. 
 
 “We should vigorously engage in an all-national (meaning both Koreas) fight for smashing activities of anti-unification and unpatriotic group with toadyism like Park Geun-hye,” Kim said. 
 
 Kim also slammed the South’s political situation, describing a series of candle vigils in the South calling for impeached President Park to step down as “anti-government rallies.” 
 
 The rallies are a sign of an “explosion of deep-rooted grudge and anger against the conservative government, which strives for dictatorship, inhumane policies, flunkeyism and quislingism and fratricidal confrontation,” Kim said. 
 
 ECONOMY 
 
 On the economic front, Kim heavily emphasized successes the DPRK achieved from its 70-day battle and 200-day battle, the two major national campaigns which were underway for a large part of last year. 
 
 Describing the two campaigns as “grandiose and creative battles” that opened the path towards the “new age,” Kim said their successes brought the “turning points on every battle line” to North Korea. 
 
 Kim also referred to a “miraculous victory” while describing the North’s flood recovery work, a disaster which swept the country from late August to September last year. 
 
 Claiming that multiple factories, companies, and collective farms achieved record-breaking outcomes in 2016, Kim once again highlighted the mentality of Jagangnyeok (self-sustainability) as the key to boosting the economy in 2017, a term that was repeated many times during the previous year’s address. 
 
 Furthermore, Kim said the nation’s five-year economic growth plan – a long-term economic strategy first outlined in 2016 – should be continued. 
 
 And while stressing the need to improve the state’s scientific output, electric production, chemistry, metal industry, mechanics, farming, fishing, and coal production, Kim especially stressed the importance of light industry. 
 
 Ordering the nationalization of the state production process, Kim also outlined an intention to define proper business strategies to diversify and increase the quality of North Korean-made consumer goods produced from light industry infrastructure. 
 
 Kim has also said that workers should finish the ongoing refurbishment of Ryomyong Street, a luxury residence boulevard in Pyongyang originally meant to be completed by December 2016, but delayed due to flood rehabilitation efforts. 
 
 The annual speeches of North Korean leaders are regularly scrutinized by analysts for signs of potential policy changes for the year ahead. 
 
 This article was written by Dagyum Ji and JH Ahn 
 
 Featured Image: Rodong Sinmun ||||| SEOUL—North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un said on Sunday that his country is finalizing preparations for a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which would mark an advance in its attempt to build a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the U.S. 
 
 Mr. Kim, delivering a new-year address from Pyongyang on state television, also said that North Korea would continue to increase its military capabilities, with an emphasis on pre-emptive nuclear strikes, according to a transcript of his remarks by the Korean Central News... ||||| Story highlights Kim referred to his country as a "nuclear and military power," state media says 
 
 The country conducted two nuclear tests and various missile tests in 2016 
 
 Kim determined to develop nukes by the end of 2017 "at all costs," defector says 
 
 Seoul (CNN) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that his country is close to testing an intercontinental ballistic missile. 
 
 "Research and development of the cutting-edge tech weapons are actively progressing and strengthening our defense capabilities, including last stage preparation of tests for intercontinental ballistic rocket launch have been continuously succeeding," Kim said in a televised address on New Year's Day. 
 
 The speech was full of the North's usual self-congratulatory, lofty proclamations and anti-Western rhetoric. 
 
 Kim referred to North Korea as a "nuclear and military power in the east that formidable enemy dare encroach on" and said "unless the US and its vassal forces stop nuclear threat and blackmail and unless they stop the war exercises which they stage right at our noses under the pretext of annual exercises, the DPRK would keep increasing the military capabilities for self-defense and preemptive striking capacity with a main emphasis on nuclear force," according to state news agency KCNA. 
 
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 But there's reason to take Kim's threats more seriously than those in years past.
– Kim Jong Un was up bright and early New Year's Day to make his first announcement of 2017: that North Korea is in the "final stages" of development of a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile and a test launch is imminent, ABC Australia reports. In his address on state TV from Pyongyang, Kim said his country would keep ramping up its nuclear weapons program until the US backs out of holding yearly military exercises in South Korea, and he reiterated previous claims that preemptive nuclear strikes were on the table, per the Wall Street Journal. "Research and development of cutting-edge arms equipment is actively progressing and ICBM rocket test launch preparation is in its last stage," Kim said, per ABC. Mixed with this ominous message was Kim's revelation that "I have spent the whole year with regrets and a guilty conscience" for not reaching certain goals, spurring a promise to "devote all of myself to the people," per NK News. Although CNN notes Kim's speech was "full of the North's usual self-congratulatory, lofty proclamations and anti-Western rhetoric," it also adds there may be reason to pay closer attention to Kim's words this time around. North Korea stayed busy on the weapons experimentation front throughout 2016, despite 10 years of UN sanctions: It test-launched ballistic missiles at what ABC calls an "unprecedented rate," put a satellite into space in February (believed to be a test of long-range ballistic missile capabilities), and pulled off its fifth nuclear test in September. Experts have estimated that North Korea's timeline for being able to mount a weapon on an ICBM that could reach US shores is probably still two to three years away, but per CNN, a "high-profile North Korean" defector has said Kim is set on developing nukes by year's end "at all costs."