JAKARTA – North Korean President Kim Jong Un has stressed that North Korea’s status as a nuclear-armed state cannot be changed.
He stressed that North Korea would increase “self-defense nuclear deterrence” which he considered very important for national security, regional stability, and economic development.
Kim said this in his speech on Monday local time at the North Korean Supreme People’s Assembly, reported by the state-run KCNA media on Tuesday, March 24.
“The reality of today’s world, where the dignity and rights of sovereign states are mercilessly violated by unilateral force and violence, clearly teaches what the true guarantee of a country’s existence and peace is,” Kim said.
Kim reiterated his rejection of ideas about nuclear disarmament being exchanged for economic gains or security guarantees.
According to Kim, North Korea has proved that maintaining nuclear power while pursuing development is the right strategic choice.
“Nuclear weapons have prevented war and allowed countries to focus resources on economic growth, development, and living standards,” Kim added.
North Korea’s Hwasong-17 missile in a North Korean military parade that brought together Putin-Jong un-Xi recently. (KCNA file photo)
Furthermore, Kim accused the United States (US) and its allies of destabilizing the region by deploying strategic nuclear assets near the Korean peninsula. However, Kim considers North Korea not to be threatened by the condition because it has the necessary strength.
Kim then warned his US ally, South Korea, that any attempt to violate North Korea’s sovereignty would be met “without mercy without hesitation or restraint”.
Reuters reported that analysts in South Korea said Kim’s statement after being re-elected as President of North Korea at the Supreme People’s Assembly of North Korea, was the same as an indirect criticism of the US-Israeli aggression against Iran.
“This situation has strengthened Pyongyang’s long-standing argument that nuclear weapons are essential to deter external intervention and maintain the regime’s survival,” said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.
Illustration. The launch of a North Korean spy satellite (North Korea) named Malligyong-1. (doc. KCNA)
According to Human Rights Watch, North Korea is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an economy heavily impacted by sanctions and shortages that leave most of its population reliant on state rations and informal markets.
In boosting its economy, the North Korean legislature adopted constitutional amendments and passed laws supporting a new five-year economic plan. The two agendas were also held by the Supreme People’s Assembly of North Korea on Monday.
KCNA said the lawmakers also approved a 2026 state budget that increases defense spending to 15.8 percent of total spending, with funding explicitly allocated to expand nuclear deterrence and warfighting capabilities, according to a separate budget report released at the session.
There was a moment in the hearing that showed a video containing congratulations and praise from Russian President Vladimir Putin for Kim’s re-election. Putin also promised to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.
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