North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unveiled new goals for the country's military for 2023 at an ongoing meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, state media reported on Wednesday, hinting at another year of intensive weapons tests and tension.

Kim "set forth new key goals for bolstering up the self-reliant defense capability to be pushed ahead within 2023 under the multilaterally changing situation," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

KCNA did not provide details on those goals, but Kim's remarks are indicative of a continuation of the country's military buildup.

At the meeting, Kim analyzed new security challenges in international politics and on the Korean Peninsula and clarified principles and directions to take in external relations and fights against enemies to protect national interests and sovereignty, KCNA reported.

Kim set the direction for the "anti-enemy struggle" and goals for reinforcing defence power, it added.

"He specified the principles of foreign affairs and the direction of the struggle against the enemy that our party and government must thoroughly abide by in order to protect sovereign rights and defend national interests," the report stated.

"New core goals for strengthening self-defensive capabilities to be strongly pursued in 2023 have been presented in preparation for diverse fluctuations in the political situation."

During the plenary meeting, Kim also pointed out "a series of serious shortcomings" observed in such areas as science, education and health this year, and suggested ways to overcome them and raised key tasks for next year, KCNA said.

North Korea has fired an unprecedented number of missiles this year, and many launches were designed to develop "top priority" strategic weapons under a five-year plan laid out at a Workers' Party congress in early 2021.

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