State media reported today, Wednesday, that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un revealed new goals for the army for the year 2023 in order to strengthen the country's defense capabilities, amid escalating tension with the southern neighbor and its allies.

These goals were set during the sixth expanded plenary meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party, which was inaugurated by the North Korean leader on Monday, in the presence of senior party officials and members of the government.

State media said Kim set new basic goals to enhance self-defense capabilities in preparation for various fluctuations in the political situation, without revealing details.

The official news agency said he also set out "the direction of the struggle against the enemy... to defend sovereignty and national interests".

The agency also said that during the meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, Kim referred to a series of serious imbalances observed during the current year in areas such as science, education and health, and suggested ways to overcome them and discussed the main tasks for the coming year.

And the official agency said yesterday, Tuesday, that the North Korean leader presented a detailed report in which he stated that the country's strength "has increased significantly in all political, military, economic and cultural fields, and successes and progress have been achieved in carrying out the huge tasks through an unprecedented arduous and fierce struggle this year."

And last November, Kim Jong-un, during his supervision of the launch of an intercontinental missile, confirmed that the ultimate goal of his country is to possess the most powerful nuclear force in the world that has never been seen before.

This year, Pyongyang has carried out an unprecedented number of missile launches, including an intercontinental ballistic missile believed to be capable of hitting the US mainland, in defiance of its adversaries and international sanctions.

Kim and other officials - including his sister Kim Yo Jong - vowed a strong response to any attack on North Korea.