North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared that his nuclear-armed nation could "completely destroy" South Korea if its security were threatened, reiterating his refusal to engage with Seoul, The Associated Press reported.
However, he left open the possibility of dialogue with Washington, as he concluded a ruling party congress in which he outlined his policy goals for the next five years and was, unsurprisingly, re-elected as the general secretary of his party.
State media reported on Thursday that Kim also called for the development of new weapons systems to strengthen his nuclear-armed military. These included intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of being launched from underwater and an expanded arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons, such as artillery and short-range missiles aimed at South Korea.
Kim emphasized that the accelerated development of his nuclear and missile program had "permanently cemented" the country’s status as a nuclear weapons state. He also urged the United States to abandon what he described as "hostile" policies toward North Korea as a condition for resuming long-stalled dialogue.
Last month, ahead of the congress, Kim personally oversaw test‑flights of hypersonic missiles, using the launch to stress the need to further strengthen the country’s nuclear war deterrent.
The launch followed a series of recent weapons activities by North Korea, which the previous week conducted a long-range strategic cruise missile launching drill observed by Kim, while also releasing images suggesting progress on the regime’s first nuclear‑powered submarine.
Kim has maintained a confrontational stance against the United States and South Korea since the conclusion of President Donald Trump’s first term in office.
Trump has expressed interest in meeting Kim, something he did three times during his first presidency from 2017 to 2021. Despite the historic meetings, their diplomacy yielded no tangible results.
Kim recently stated that he has “good memories" of Trump, but also declared that his nation will "never lay down our nuclear weapons".