Seoul, April 26, 2022 (AFP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in a lengthy speech at a military parade in Pyongyang that his country will strengthen and develop its nuclear weapons, state media reported on Tuesday (26).
“We will continue to take steps to strengthen our nuclear capabilities faster,” Kim said, according to state news agency KCNA. Said.
The speech took place Monday night during a parade in Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army.
According to official media, the North Korean leader wore a white military uniform and watched the parade of tanks, rocket launchers and missiles.
“Nuclear forces, which are the symbol of our national power and the axis of our military power, should be strengthened in terms of quality and scale,” Kim said.
North Korea faces harsh international sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, and talks to persuade Kim to drop the tests have failed.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said Tuesday that Washington is “open to engaging in diplomacy and dialogue” to end North Korea’s nuclear program.
“However, we also have an obligation to address the latest provocations we’ve seen from North Korea, including the last two intercontinental ballistic missile launches,” Price said.
Kim announced on Monday that the country’s nuclear weapons are “a symbol of national strength” and should be diversified.
“We will build up our nuclear power as quickly as possible … to anticipate the turbulent political and military situation and any future crisis,” he insisted.
This year alone, Pyongyang has conducted more than 10 weapons tests, including the first international ballistic missile launched at full capacity since 2017.
North Korea reportedly agreed to suspend nuclear and long-range missile tests as part of Kim’s attempt to negotiate with US President Donald Trump, which failed in 2019 and has since been stalled.
At the end of 2021, and especially after the resumption of weapons tests this year, the United States and South Korea have warned of a possible resumption of Pyongyang’s nuclear program.
Fears were heightened after the release of satellite images showing signs of activity at the Punggye-ri nuclear facility that North Korea said it had destroyed before Kim’s first summit with Trump in 2018.
– Weapons of deterrence, but… – The KCNA agency reported that Kim oversaw a large military parade Monday where paratroopers, thousands of soldiers marched and weapons were displayed.
In his speech, the communist leader emphasized that the main role of nuclear weapons is deterrence, but can only be used if the country’s “fundamental interests” are attacked.
“If any power tries to usurp our country’s interests, our nuclear power will have no choice but to fulfill its second mission,” he said.
Kim’s message could be a response to the election of new South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, a conservative conservative, who will take power on May 10.
“It’s remarkable that Kim is speaking privately about the purpose of his nuclear weapons right now,” said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.
“Yoon, who has been elected President of South Korea, has threatened preemptive strikes against Pyongyang if necessary, and Kim seems to argue indirectly that he may need to respond with nuclear tactics,” he added.
The Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the most modern piece of the North’s arsenal, was on display at the parade, and Pyongyang successfully tested it on March 24, KCNA said.
“Audiences celebrated with enthusiasm, excited to see ICBM Hwasong-17 fly into the sky on March 24 to show the world the sheer strength and strategic position of our republic,” the agency said.
The photos showed large missiles aboard mobile launchers crossing Kim Il Sung Square, while North Koreans in traditional dress waving flags and flowers.
On the date of the test, state media praised the “miraculous” launch of what should have been Hwasong-17 and posted photos and videos of Kim supervising the test.
However, analysts noted inconsistencies in Pyongyang’s information. Washington and Seoul suspect that the communist regime actually fired the Hwasong-15, a less advanced missile that was tested in 2017.
“Despite all the glamor and months of rehearsal, Monday’s North Korean military parade didn’t really show much news,” said Chad O’Carroll of Seoul-based specialist website NK News.
To demonstrate its power, North Korea holds military parades to celebrate important dates and events, and serves outside observers to gain clues about the country’s latest developments in the arms industry.
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source: Noticias
