North Korea Wants ‘Highly Nuclear Weapons’ for ‘New Cold War’ With US

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called on his government to ramp up its production of nuclear weapons and join an emerging coalition to oppose the U.S. in a "new Cold War," state media said Thursday.

The comments came as Kim’s rubber-stamp parliament approved an amendment to North Korea’s constitution ensuring that the country "develops highly nuclear weapons” to protect its "rights to existence" and to "deter war,” state news agency KCNA reported.

Pyongyang’s "nuclear force-building policy has been made permanent as the basic law of the state, which no one is allowed to flout," Kim said in a speech.

He stressed the need to "push ahead with the work for exponentially boosting the production of nuclear weapons and diversifying the nuclear strike means." 

North Korea has seized international attention in recent months with Kim’s visit to Russia for a likely arms deal, its continuing missile tests, nuclear threats, and the drama involving runaway U.S. Army Pvt. Travis King, who was released on Wednesday.  

The world’s most repressive state, North Korea is estimated to have an arsenal of 30 nuclear warheads, according to the Arms Control Association. 

South Korea's unification ministry said the constitutional amendment showed Kim’s "strong will" to hold onto his nuclear program.

"We once again stress that North Korea will face an end of its regime if it uses nuclear weapons," it warned in a statement.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, condemned the move. "North Korea's nuclear and missile development poses threats to peace and safety of our country and the international community, and can never be tolerated," he said.