Kim Jong Un Issues Stark Warning to South Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un intensified his threats on Thursday, claiming that his nation could “completely destroy” South Korea if it felt endangered, while dismissing the possibility of new dialogues.
At the ongoing ninth congress of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party in Pyongyang, Kim labeled South Korea as “the most hostile enemy.” He criticized South Korea’s current government, suggesting its “conciliatory attitude” was insincere and clumsy, as reported by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim rejected recent attempts by South Korea to mend ties, warning that North Korea could “take arbitrary actions” if South Korea engages in “unpleasant acts” towards his regime.
“We cannot rule out the possibility that South Korea will completely collapse,” Kim mentioned, according to KCNA.
During the conference, he detailed an ambitious five-year plan aimed at enhancing North Korea’s nuclear capabilities.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimated that North Korea possesses around 50 nuclear warheads and has enough fissile material to create up to 40 additional ones.
Kim asserted that the country’s “international standing has increased abnormally,” emphasizing the party’s commitment to expanding its nuclear arsenal and reinforcing its status as a nuclear power.
“We will focus on projects that increase the number of nuclear weapons and expand the operational means of nuclear weapons,” he stated.
Plans discussed included developing advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of underwater launches, as well as AI-driven weapon systems and drones, according to KCNA.
While he has previously met with U.S. President Donald Trump three times during Trump’s initial term, Kim indicated a potential openness to future negotiations with the United States but placed the blame primarily on the U.S. for the current tensions.
“We are prepared for either peaceful coexistence or permanent conflict, and the choice is not ours to make,” he expressed.
Kim added that if the U.S. were to “withdraw its policy of confrontation” with North Korea and accept its “current situation,” there would be “no reason why we cannot be friends with the United States.”
Post-meeting, Kim’s teenage daughter made an appearance at a military parade in Pyongyang. Reportedly around 13 or 14 years old, she was seen beside her father and military officials, following South Korean media reports that suggested she was recently given a leadership role overseeing North Korea’s nuclear forces.
