Kim Jong Un says North Korea’s nuclear status is irreversible, threatens South
By Kyu-seok Shim
SEOUL, March 24 (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in a speech to parliament that his country would permanently strengthen its nuclear forces and treat South Korea as its most hostile state when setting policy priorities, state media KCNA reported on Tuesday.
Kim said Pyongyang’s status as a nuclear-armed state was irreversible and expanding “nuclear deterrence for self-defense” was necessary for national security, regional stability and economic development.
He rejected the idea that nuclear disarmament could be replaced by economic benefits or security guarantees, saying North Korea had already proven that maintaining its nuclear forces while pursuing development was the right strategic choice.
Nuclear weapons deter war and allow the state to focus resources on economic growth, construction and living standards, he said Monday in a speech to the Supreme People’s Assembly, the communist-run country’s legislature.
Kim accused the United States and its allies of destabilizing the region by deploying strategic nuclear assets near the Korean peninsula, but said North Korea no longer sees itself as a threatened country and has the power to threaten others if necessary.
Kim said South Korea was “recognized as the most hostile state” and warned Seoul that any attempt to violate North Korea’s sovereignty would be met “mercilessly, without hesitation or restraint.”
The comments are the latest sign of Pyongyang’s hardening stance towards Seoul since Kim abandoned his decades-long policy of seeking peaceful reunification and began redefining relations with the South as those between two hostile states.
Analysts are looking for any signs that this change is regulated by law. No detailed information was given in the state media report.
FIVE-YEAR PLAN
Listing economic priorities as well as security policy, Kim called on authorities to fully implement a new five-year development plan focused on modernizing industry, increasing electricity and coal production, increasing food production and expanding housing construction across the country.
By international assessments, North Korea is one of the world’s poorest countries, with an economy subject to heavy sanctions and chronic shortages that leave much of its population dependent on government rationing and informal markets.
KCNA said the parliamentary session approved amendments to the constitution and passed legislation approving the new five-year economic plan.
Lawmakers also approved a 2026 state budget that increases defense spending to 15.8% of total spending, with funding explicitly allocated to expanding nuclear deterrence and war-fighting capabilities, according to a separate budget report released during the session.
The assembly received a congratulatory message from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who praised Kim’s leadership and vowed to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.
(Reporting by Kyu-seok Shim; Editing by Stephen Coates)
