North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his country would accelerate its drive to become a nuclear-armed military superpower, Reuters reported, adding that the use of nuclear weapons was not ruled out in the event of an attack by an enemy. The statement came amid heightened tensions with South Korea and the United States.
In a speech at the Kim Jong-un National Defense University, which trains North Korea's top military experts, Kim Jong-un mentioned South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and criticized Seoul for "cooperating with Washington to destabilize the region." He also said that although South Korea does not have strong enough strategic weapons, it still relies on the United States to control the situation.
Kim Jong-un warned that North Korea will not hesitate to use all its offensive power, including nuclear weapons, if its enemies use force against it. Kim Jong-un said that the process of turning North Korea into a military and nuclear superpower will be accelerated in the coming time.
Last week, South Korea held a major military parade to mark Armed Forces Day, which featured ballistic missiles capable of carrying large warheads and a US strategic bomber.
In a speech the same day, President Yoon Suk Yeol warned North Korea that if it used nuclear weapons, its regime would "come to an end."
Kim Jong-un made the comments on the same day that North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly met to discuss constitutional amendments. The meeting is being closely watched because it is likely to pass a constitutional amendment that reflects Kim Jong-un's new view that unification with South Korea is no longer possible and that South Korea is a separate country and a rival to North Korea.
In another article, KCNA said that Mr. Kim Jong-un sent birthday greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him "the closest comrade" and emphasizing that the strategic cooperative relationship between the two countries will be raised to a new level.
