N. Korea’s Kim vows to bolster nuke capability during parade

By KIM TONG-HYUNG and HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to accelerate the development of nuclear weapons and threatened to use them if provoked in a speech he delivered at a military parade that featured powerful missiles capable of targeting the country’s rivals. Kim’s remarks suggest he will continue provocative weapons tests in a pressure campaign aimed at wresting concessions from the United States. The parade Monday night marked the 90th anniversary of North Korea’s army, the backbone of the Kim family’s authoritarian rule. One of the weapons showcased in the parade is North Korea’s biggest and newest missile, the Hwasong-17. North Korea claimed it launched the missile in March, but outsiders believe the test failed.