Leader Kim Jong-un claimed his nuclear-armed country could “completely destroy” South Korea if its security were threatened, reiterating his refusal to engage with Seoul, state media said. However, he left the door open to dialogue with Washington as he concluded a ruling party congress outlining his policy goals for the next five years.
Kim in recent years has sharpened his rhetoric towards Seoul and underscored his rejection of inter-Korean diplomacy.
Experts say that most likely doesn’t presage military clashes, but is intended to advance a broader effort to assert a more forceful regional role backed by Kim’s nuclear arsenal and ties with Moscow and Beijing.
The official Korean Central News Agency said that Kim also called for developing new weapons systems to bolster his nuclear-armed military, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that could be launched from underwater and an expanded arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons, such as artillery and short-range missiles, targeting South Korea.
He said the accelerated development of his nuclear and missile programme in recent years “permanently cemented” the country’s status as a nuclear weapons state, and called for the United States to discard what he perceives as “hostile” policies towards the North if it wants to resume long-stalled dialogue.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry said it was regrettable that the North continues to define inter-Korean relations as hostile and that Seoul will “patiently” pursue efforts to stabilise peace.
The Workers’ Party congress, which began last Thursday in Pyongyang, is the country’s most important political event. KCNA said the North staged a military parade in the capital Wednesday as it wrapped up the congress, previously held in 2016 and 2021.
Watching the parade with his increasingly prominent daughter – believed to be around 13 years old and named Kim Ju-ae – Kim in a speech said his forces were capable of “immediately and thoroughly retaliating” against any hostile threat.
But the state outlet did not immediately say whether he showcased his largest weapons, including ICBMs potentially capable of reaching the US mainland.
Kim’s comments at the congress were widely anticipated as he has been issuing increasingly hard-line views towards South Korea since 2024, when he discarded the North’s long-standing goal of a peaceful reunification between the war-divided Koreas and declared the South as a permanent enemy.
But analysts expected Kim to take a more measured approach towards Washington to preserve the possibility of future dialogue, with the long-term aim of securing US sanctions relief and tacit recognition as a nuclear state.
Kim has recently been prioritising Russia in his foreign policy, sending thousands of troops and large amounts of military equipment to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine, possibly in exchange for aid and military technology. But it would make sense to keep his options open as the war in Ukraine could wind down, potentially making North Korea less valuable to Moscow, experts say.
In a report wrapping up the congress, Kim said his government was maintaining the “toughest stance” against Washington, but added there was “no reason we cannot get along” with the Americans if they withdrew their supposedly “hostile policy” towards the North.
North Korea often uses the term to describe US-led pressure and sanctions over Kim’s nuclear ambitions.
His comments aligned with North Korea’s previous position calling for Washington to abandon its demands for the North’s denuclearisation as a precondition for reviving talks. — AP
