00:00With a wide smile and a cigarette in hand, Kim Jong-un stands before the cameras, laughing and chatting before clasping hands with military retirees for a group photo.
00:15Wrapped in his long black leather coat, his presence dominates the defense ministry, where North Korea's leader arrived to mark the 78th anniversary of the founding of the armed forces.
00:27The scene appears friendly on the surface, handshakes, laughter and souvenir photos.
00:35But behind the optics, the message was clear.
00:39Kim is calling for modernizing the military and expanding its authority in the coming phase, while repeatedly stressing the need to strengthen nuclear capabilities.
00:49A moment observers see as preparation for potential tensions with United States and South Korea.
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