North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed seven written orders implementing major military decisions aimed at strengthening the country's nuclear forces and expanding military intelligence, state media reported Friday. Photo by KCNA/EPA
SEOUL, July 10 (UPI) -- North Korea will significantly expand the role of its main military intelligence agency, state-run media reported Friday, as Pyongyang steps up efforts to modernize its armed forces and strengthen its reconnaissance capabilities while maintaining a hard-line stance against South Korea.
The announcement came during the first enlarged meeting of the Ninth Central Military Commission in Pyongyang, where leader Kim Jong Un discussed measures to bolster the Korean People's Army's combat readiness, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
"The meeting suggested tasks and ways for expanding in a many-sided way the functions and missions of the General Reconnaissance and Intelligence Bureau, which plays a pivotal role in controlling the potential enemies' threats and gathering key information," KCNA said.
Among the goals were "enhancing its capability of military reconnaissance and intelligence activities in a radical way," the report added.
