According to state media on Thursday, Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, said that his country is ready to use its nuclear weapons as a deterrent against war and to fight a military battle with the United States. This comes as there are signs that North Korea could conduct its first nuclear test since 2017 this year.
Kim said these things in a speech at an event to mark the 69th anniversary of the armistice that ended the Korean War on July 27, 1953, but technically kept the two Koreas at war, according to the official KCNA news agency.
Kim said that the conflict with the U.S. was a nuclear threat because it forced the North to finish an “urgent historical task” of strengthening its defenses.
He said, “Our armed forces are fully ready to handle any crisis, and our nation’s nuclear war deterrence is also fully ready to bring its full strength to its mission quickly, faithfully, and accurately.”
After officials in Seoul and Washington said Pyongyang had finished getting ready for its first nuclear test since 2017, Kim Jong Un gave his speech.
South Korea’s unification minister in charge of inter-Korean affairs said on Tuesday that the test could happen in time for the anniversary, but a military official said there were no signs of it happening right now.
South Korea’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that if North Korea goes ahead with the test, it is likely to face stronger sanctions, such as steps to limit its ability to launch cyberattacks.
In his speech, Kim said that 70 years after the war, Washington and South Korea are still doing “dangerous, illegal, hostile acts” against the North. He said that Washington tries to justify its actions by “demonizing” the country.
The North has been saying for a long time that the US has two sets of rules when it comes to military activities and has an unfriendly policy toward Pyongyang. They say this makes it hard to get back to talking about dismantling the country’s nuclear and missile programs in exchange for sanctions being lifted.
“The United States is stealing from us by calling our normal military actions “provocation” and “threat” while they hold large-scale joint military exercises that pose a serious threat to our security,” Kim said.
“This is putting the two countries’ relationships in a state of conflict where it is hard to go back.
Kim criticized South Korea’s Yoon Suk-yeol government, saying that any attempts to disable the North ahead of time would be met with a harsh response and “annihilation.”
Kim said, “I want to say again that North Korea is fully ready for any military conflict with the U.S.” In the past few months, North Korea has tested hypersonic missiles and missiles that it says could carry tactical nuclear weapons. This has made it harder for Seoul to prepare for an attack.
Mahnur is MS(development Studies)Student at NUST University, completed BS Hons in Eng Literature. Content Writer, Policy analyst, Climate Change specialist, Teacher, HR Recruiter.
