(Seoul) North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reiterated that Pyongyang may have a “preventive” use of nuclear weapons to counter hostile forces, state media reported on Saturday.
Posted at 12:33 a.m.
To “maintain the absolute superiority” of North Korea’s armed forces, the country must be able to “contain and pre-emptively thwart all dangerous attempts and threats…if necessary”, the leader told senior officers, according to the official KCNA news agency.
Pyongyang must continue to develop its arsenal in order to have an “overwhelming military force that no power in the world can provoke”, said Kim Jong-un.
It is the “lifeline guaranteeing the security of our country”, according to him.
During an imposing military parade on April 25, he said he could resort to nuclear weapons if the “fundamental interests” of North Korea were threatened.
Kim Jong-un reiterated these remarks during a meeting with senior officers whose work he wanted to commend during the April 25 military parade, organized as part of the 90and anniversary of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army.
On this occasion, the most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) were presented.
Despite severe international sanctions, North Korea continues to modernize its army.
Since the start of the year, Pyongyang has carried out more than a dozen test launches, including launching a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time since 2017.
The country continues to ignore Washington’s proposals to resume negotiations.
The North Korean leader’s remarks could be aimed at South Korea’s new president-elect, conservative Yoon Suk-yeol, who will take office on May 10, analysts say.
Mr. Yoon promised to take a tougher line in the face of provocations from the North.
Analysts say Kim Jong-un’s warnings show he is not open to dialogue with Seoul’s new government.
“Mr. Kim’s remarks testify that he does not want to engage with Mr. Yoon’s new administration or restart denuclearization talks with the United States,” said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at the University. Ewha University in Seoul.