By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for bolstering nuclear forces this year during a visit to a nuclear material production base and nuclear weapons institute,

North Korea is preparing to send Russia more than 100 artillery systems – originally designed to flatten Seoul – to be used in its war against Ukraine.

The new premier of North Korea has been sworn in during a two-day parliamentary meeting in Pyongyang. State media on Friday broadcast footage of Pak Thae Song addressing parliament during the key session.

North Korea has test-fired sea-to-surface strategic guided cruise missiles, state news agency KCNA reported Sunday, adding that the weapons "precisely" hit their targets.

Trump’s acknowledgment of North Korea as a “nuclear power” risks granting legitimacy to Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal. For decades North Korea has sought international recognition as a legitimate nuclear state despite facing and sanctions diplomatic isolation aimed at curbing its nuclear ambitions.

North Korean troops' limited combat experience and unfamiliarity with the terrain of the Russian-Ukrainian battlefields have contributed to heavy losses.

In exchange for assisting Russia in the conflict with Ukraine, North Korea is set to receive Russian MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets. Although these are more modern aircraft than those currently used by North Korea,

U.S. President Donald Trump will pursue the "complete denuclearization of North Korea," a White House official said Tuesday, amid questions over whether Trump's recent reference to the North as a "nuclear power" signaled any policy shift.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for bolstering nuclear forces this year during a visit to a nuclear material production base and nuclear weapons institute, state media KCNA reported on Wednesday.

According to General Budanov, Kim Jong-un has handed over at least 120 M1989 Koksan artillery systems to Russia over the past three months, as well as 120 M1991 multiple rocket launchers. Speaking to The Warzone, he said Pyongyang was preparing a new shipment of hardware, which analysts say is on its way.

North Korea has test-fired sea-to-surface strategic cruise guided missiles, the North's state media reported Sunday, quoting Kim as saying that Pyongyang's deterrence means are being perfected.