The supreme leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, stated that the country can “destroy completely” its neighboring South Korea if its security is threatened, in comments on Thursday, the 26th. He reiterated his refusal to engage with Seoul, but left the door open for dialogue with the United States after concluding a party congress that outlined policy goals for the next five years.
At the congress, Kim said that the accelerated development of his nuclear and missile program in recent years has “permanently consolidated” the country’s status as a nuclear-armed state, and urged Washington to discard what he sees as hostile policies toward North Korea if it wants to resume long-stalled dialogue.
The Ministry of Unification of South Korea said it is regrettable that the neighboring country continues to frame inter-Korean relations as hostile and that Seoul will “patiently” seek efforts to stabilize peace.
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In recent years, Kim has intensified his rhetoric toward Seoul and emphasized his rejection of inter-Korean diplomacy. Experts say this is unlikely to presage military confrontations but rather to advance a broader effort to assert a more assertive regional role, backed by Kim’s nuclear arsenal and his ties with Moscow and Beijing.
The Korean Central News Agency reported that, at the congress, Kim also called for the development of new weapons systems to strengthen his nuclear-armed army, including underwater-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles and an expanded arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons, such as artillery and short-range missiles aimed at South Korea. Source: Associated Press.
