North Korean leader calls for strengthened nuclear force in tirade against U.S.
Published: 09 Feb. 2025, 15:25
Updated: 09 Feb. 2025, 15:27
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- LIM JEONG-WON
- [email protected]
![North Korean leader Kim Jong-un delivers a speech during a visit to the Ministry of National Defense to mark the 77th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army on Feb. 9, in this photo released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/02/09/6c6b985f-e1b7-4a39-b0e5-c61b969c42a7.jpg)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un delivers a speech during a visit to the Ministry of National Defense to mark the 77th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army on Feb. 9, in this photo released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. [YONHAP]
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stressed his country's policy of strengthening its nuclear force while blaming the United States for the conflicts not only on the Korean Peninsula but around the world, Pyongyang's state media reported Sunday.
During a visit to the North Korean Ministry of National Defense on Saturday to mark the 77th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army, Kim mentioned a series of new plans to rapidly strengthen all deterrents, including nuclear capabilities, and reaffirmed his policy of further enhancing nuclear weapons, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Sunday.
Kim did not, however, specify what the “new plan" to strengthen nuclear capabilities was.
He went on to say that the fundamental factors creating military imbalances on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia are the U.S. deployment of its nuclear means on the Korean Peninsula as well as the U.S.-led bilateral and multilateral nuclear war simulation exercises staged at the level of actual combat, the South Korea-United States-Japan tripartite military alliance built according to Washington's regional military bloc script and the formation of an Asian version of NATO, all creating a new confrontational structure, according to the KCNA report.
The release said that Kim added that North Korea "does not want unnecessary tension of the regional situation but will take sustained countermeasures to ensure the regional military balance out of the aspiration for preventing the outbreak of a new war and ensuring peace and security on the Korean Peninsula."
He further criticized the United States for "standing unfailingly behind the world's big and small disputes and tragedies of bloodshed at present," citing such influence as proof "that the line of our Party and government aspiring after the building of an unlimited defense capability is most just."
Kim also claimed that the responsibility for the Ukraine War lies with Washington, and expressed serious concern over the “reckless behaviors” of the United States and Western groups that are “intentionally fostering the prolonged war from the unrealizable dream to deal strategic setbacks to Russia.”
According to the report, Kim said that the North's military and its people will "invariably support and encourage the just cause of the Russian army and people to defend their sovereignty, security and territorial integrity in keeping with the spirit of the treaty on the comprehensive strategic partnership" with Russia.
Kim also defined this year as "the year of training" and raised "the issue of making war preparations more thoroughly as required by modern warfare and the issue of waging a fierce struggle to establish the steel-like order and sound military discipline," the KCNA reported.
There is a possibility that North Korea will engage in various military provocations under the pretext of training, as Kim has designated this year one for training and Pyongyang is looking for ways to increase its visibility with the new U.S. administration.
Kim was accompanied during his visit to the Defense Ministry by key commanders of the Ministry of National Defense, including Minister of National Defense No Kwang-chol, Director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army Jeong Kyong-thaek, and Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army Ri Yong-gil.
North Korea also said on Sunday that its nuclear weapons are not a bargaining chip but designed for combat use, according to a commentary released by the KCNA.
"Our country's nuclear force is invariably for real combat use in a bid to swiftly cut out the origin of any invasion attempt by hostile forces that infringe upon the country's sovereign right and people's safety, and threaten regional peace," the KCNA said.
BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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