BEIJING (Kyodo) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared at a key ruling party meeting that the country will adopt "the toughest anti-U.S. counteraction" strategy, state-run media reported Sunday.

The United States "is the most reactionary state that regards anti-communism as its invariable state policy," Kim said, vowing to adopt the hard-line stance to defend North Korea's interests and security.

Kim also said the alliance of the United States, Japan and South Korea "has expanded into a nuclear military bloc for aggression," the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

"This reality clearly shows to which direction we should advance and what we should do and how," he said, expressing his willingness to promote relationships with "friendly countries."

No direct reference was made to Pyongyang's nuclear development program and spy satellite launches.

The meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea from last Monday through Friday, which was presided over by Kim, came before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in January.

Kim ordered the intensification of military research "to meet the demands and features of modern warfare," the report said, following the deployment of North Korean troops to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.

The meeting was held to review policies from 2024 and discuss plans for next year.