North Korea’s Leader Says Nuclear Status is Irreversible

KCNA/Reuters

Kim Jong Un has for years said nuclear weapons were critical to the survival of his regime.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated that his country would permanently strengthen its nuclear forces and designate South Korea as its most hostile state, as he outlined policy priorities in a speech to parliament, according to state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Tuesday.

Kim said that Pyongyang’s status as a nuclear-armed state was irreversible, adding that the expansion of a “self-defensive nuclear deterrent” was essential for national security, regional stability, and economic development.

He dismissed the notion that nuclear disarmament could be exchanged for economic benefits or security guarantees, asserting that North Korea had already demonstrated that maintaining its nuclear forces while pursuing development was the correct strategic course.

"The current world reality, where the dignity and rights of sovereign states are mercilessly violated by unilateral force and violence, clearly teaches what the true guarantee of a state’s existence and peace is,” Kim ⁠said in the address on Monday to the Supreme People's Assembly, the communist-run country's rubber-stamp legislature.

Nuclear weapons had deterred war and enabled the state to focus resources on economic growth, construction, and improving living standards, he added.

Kim Jong Un further accused the United States and its allies of destabilising the region by deploying strategic nuclear assets near the Korean Peninsula. However, he said North Korea no longer regarded itself as a country under threat and possessed the capability to threaten others if necessary.

Kim stated that South Korea had been “recognised as the most hostile state” and warned Seoul that any attempt to infringe upon North Korea’s sovereignty would be met “mercilessly, without hesitation or restraint”.

South Korea’s presidential Blue House said on Tuesday that Kim’s remarks were “undesirable for peaceful coexistence”, adding that only dialogue and co-operation could ensure mutual security and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Alongside security policy, Kim outlined economic priorities, calling on officials to fully implement a new five-year development plan focused on modernising industry, boosting electricity and coal production, increasing food output, and expanding housing construction nationwide.

North Korea is among the world’s poorest countries, with a heavily sanctioned economy and chronic shortages that have left much of its population dependent on state rations and informal markets, according to international assessments.

The parliamentary session adopted amendments to the constitution and passed legislation endorsing the new five-year economic plan, Korean Central News Agency reported.

Lawmakers also approved a 2026 state budget that raises defence spending to 15.8% of total expenditure, with funding explicitly allocated to expanding nuclear deterrence and war-fighting capabilities, according to a separate budget report released at the session.

The assembly also heard a congratulatory message from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who praised Kim’s leadership and pledged to deepen a comprehensive strategic partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Source: Reuters



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