Kim Jong Un speaks of 'danger of a nuclear war' as US holds drills with allies

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accused the United States and its allies of turning the waters off the Korean Peninsula into "the most unstable waters with the danger of a nuclear war."

Kim made the remarks in a speech marking the country's Navy Day on Monday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The speech came a day before the US, South Korea, and Japan conducted joint naval missile defence drills off the Korean peninsula.

"Owing to the reckless confrontational moves of the US and other hostile forces, the waters off the Korean Peninsula have been reduced into the world's biggest war hardware concentration spot, [and] the most unstable waters with the danger of a nuclear war," he said.

The North Korean leader also called for strengthening the country's naval forces and "radically" modernising its weapons and equipment as he highlighted how the US continues to maintain a strategic presence in the region.

He went on to call the US, South Korea, and Japan the "gang bosses" who continue to hold joint military exercises in the region.

Kim was apparently referring to the August 18 meeting between the leaders of Japan, the US, and South Korea at Camp David, Maryland. The three countries had agreed to deepen military and economic cooperation against the Chinese threat.

Earlier, the North Korean leader said that the US and its allies have reached an extreme red line. He even threatened to turn the peninsula into a "huge war arsenal and a more critical war zone."

Kim also asked the army to "more thoroughly gird for a war given the grave political and military situation prevailing in the Korean Peninsula."

He has also ordered a drastic increase in weapons production, stating that there was an urgent need to boost the production of large-calibre multiple rocket launcher shells "at an exponential rate."

The call for an exponential increase in weapons production came just days after Kim Jong Un asked his generals to prepare for war. The North Korean leader also exhorted the military leadership to expand military drills.

The big picture:

North Korea has been carrying out banned weapons tests to increase its nuclear and missile arsenals. In February, North Korea launched a long-range ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast as a response to the upcoming US-South Korea military drills.

It said that the intercontinental ballistic missile was test-fired as a warning to the US and South Korea. It also warned of an "unprecedentedly" strong response if the two countries continued with the drills.

"I warn that we will watch every movement of the enemy and take corresponding and very powerful and overwhelming counteraction against its every move hostile to us," North Korea spokeswoman and Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong had said then.

Tensions between Pyongyang and Washington are at their peak right now. South Korea and the United States have increased joint military exercises as North Korea continues to conduct weapon tests despite UN sanctions. Last year, it launched more than 70 ballistic missiles to carry out test launches of its biggest missiles, including banned nuclear-capable intercontinental missiles.

Kim Jong Un's latest reference to the dangers of a nuclear war in the region may be a message for the United States.

The US, Japan, and South Korea carrying out military drills in the region is something that has not gone down too well with the North Korean leader, who has threatened to counter the US military moves with the "most overwhelming nuclear force."

However, North Korea's objections have not stopped Washington and Seoul from intensifying defence cooperation and staging joint military exercises.