Kim Jong Un Vows to Boost Nuclear Arsenal

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says the country is implementing a policy to "exponentially" increase its number of nuclear weapons, according to state media.

In a speech on North Korea's founding anniversary , Kim Jong Un said the country must more thoroughly prepare its "nuclear capability and its readiness to use it properly at any given time in ensuring the security rights of the state".

A strong military presence is needed to face "the various threats posed by the United States and its followers," he added.

Kim also said North Korea is facing a "grave threat" from what it said was a US-led nuclear-based military bloc in the region.

The leader said North Korea will "redouble its measures and efforts to make all the armed forces of the state including the nuclear force fully ready for combat".

While Kim Jong Un has repeatedly made similar pledges, his latest threat comes as outside experts believe he will perform provocative weapons tests ahead of the US presidential election in November.

In recent days, North Korea has also resumed launches of trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea.

North Korea has been protesting the July signing of a new US-South Korean defense guideline meant to integrate US nuclear weapons and South Korean conventional weapons to cope with growing North Korean nuclear threats.

North Korea said the guideline revealed its adversaries' plots to invade the country. US and South Korean officials have repeatedly said they don't intend to attack the country.

North Korea has criticized the United Nations Command as an "illegal war organization" and Germany's entry into the US-led UN border monitoring force as raising tensions.

Many analysts believe North Korea has some last remaining technological barriers to overcome to acquire long-range nuclear missiles that can reach the US mainland, though it likely already possesses missiles that can hit key targets in South Korea and Japan.