N orth Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sharpened his rhetoric towards the United States and South Korea, warning of an imminent armed confrontation becoming a reality amid increasing military maneuvers by what he calls “hostile enemies.

For the first time since leader Kim Jong Un took power in 2011, North Koreans were asked to take loyalty oaths on his birthday, a South Korean research institute said, amid other steps the country is taking to solidify his rule.

For the first time since leader Kim Jong Un took power in 2011, North Koreans were asked to take loyalty oaths on his birthday, a South Korean research institute said.