Kim Jong Un
Kim Jong UnReuters

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hosted a military meeting to discuss new policies to bolster the country's nuclear capabilities amid stalled denuclearization talks with the United States, Reuters reports, citing state news agency KCNA said on Sunday.

The meeting discussed measures to bolster armed forces and "reliably contain the persistent big or small military threats from the hostile forces," KCNA said.

"Set forth at the meeting were new policies for further increasing the nuclear war deterrence of the country and putting the strategic armed forces on a high alert operation," it added.

"Taken at the meeting were crucial measures for considerably increasing the firepower strike ability of the artillery pieces."

The meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's powerful Central Military Commission marked Kim's first public appearance in three weeks.

Last month it was reported that Kim is in grave danger after undergoing heart surgery. The report was denied by a South Korean official.

North Korean media subsequently published photos of Kim attending a ribbon cutting ceremony at a fertilizer factory.

Kim’s discussions on his country's nuclear capabilities comes as talks with the US remain stalled.

Kim and US President Donald Trump engaged in months of mutual insults and threats of devastation in 2017, sending tensions soaring before a diplomatic rapprochement the following year.

The pair have met three times since June 2018, most recently in Vietnam in February of 2019, but with little progress towards denuclearization.

Since those talks broke down, North Korea has conducted several tests of ballistic missiles.

Pyongyang set a unilateral end-2019 deadline for Washington to offer fresh concessions. In his New Year’s message after his ultimatum to the US expired, the North Korean leader said his country would continue developing nuclear programs unless the US gave up its hostile approach.