North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called on his country’s military to strengthen its nuclear forces “without limitation” and complete preparations for war. 

The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) reported on Monday that Kim issued the directive in a speech to a conference of battalion commanders and political instructors in Pyongyang on Friday. 

In the speech, Kim stressed the importance of bolstering the country’s nuclear capabilities, saying this was an irreversible policy for the country. 

The North Korean leader called on all the participants to improve their capabilities to fight an actual war.

He vowed to work ceaselessly to strengthen the country’s powers of self-defense, with a focus on nuclear forces.

Kim also said South Korea, the United States and Japan are threatening peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, mentioning recent joint military exercises in which the three nations mobilized their strategic military assets.