The North Korean leader stated on Thursday that his nation could “completely annihilate” South Korea if it perceives a threat, ramping up rhetoric while rejecting the resumption of talks.
As per state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), while addressing North Korea’s week-long Ninth in Pyongyang, Kim characterized South Korea as the “most antagonistic adversary” and declared that “the conciliatory stance that South Korea’s present government promotes publicly is crudely deceitful and simplistic.”
Kim asserted that North Korea “can take arbitrary action” if South Korea engages in “offensive conduct” aimed at his nation, dismissing Seoul’s recent endeavors to enhance relations.
According to KCNA, Kim stated, “South Korea’s total collapse cannot be excluded.”
During the congress, Kim presented far-reaching five-year policy objectives centered on . According to an estimate from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute last year, the country is thought to have approximately 50 warheads and sufficient fissile material to create up to 40 more.
The North Korean leader claimed that the nation’s “international standing has surged exceptionally.”
As per KCNA, Kim stated, “It is our party’s unwavering resolve to further expand and fortify our national nuclear might, and fully exercise our status as a nuclear state. We will concentrate on initiatives to boost the number of nuclear weapons and expand nuclear operational assets.”
KCNA reported that Kim detailed plans for North Korea to develop more sophisticated intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of underwater launches, as well as artificial intelligence-powered weapon systems and unmanned drones.
Kim, who met with President three times during Trump’s initial term, indicated he might be open to future negotiations with Washington but squarely placed the onus on the United States.
He stated, “Whether it’s peaceful coexistence or perpetual confrontation, we are prepared for either, and the choice is not up to us to make.”
Kim stated that if the U.S “abandons its policy of confrontation” with and recognizes the nation’s “current standing,” there would be “no reason we can’t coexist harmoniously with the U.S.”
According to KCNA, following the congress, Kim’s teenage daughter participated in a military parade in Pyongyang on Wednesday. Ju Ae, thought to be 13 or 14, was captured in a photograph standing beside her father and senior military officials.
Her presence follows South Korean media reports that Kim recently in the regime’s influential “Missile Administration,” which oversees Pyongyang’s nuclear forces.
Digital’s Emma Bussey, in conjunction with Reuters and