This Saturday, April 30, the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, repeated that Pyongyang could have a “preventive” recourse to nuclear weapons in order to counter hostile forces, according to the official media.
To “maintain the absolute superiority” of North Korea’s armed forces, the country must be able to “contain and pre-emptively thwart all dangerous attempts and threats…if necessary.” This was stated by the leader to senior officers, according to the official KCNA news agency.
Pyongyang must continue to develop its arsenal in order to have an “overwhelming military force that no power in the world can provoke”, then said Kim Jong-un. It is the “lifeline guaranteeing the security of our country”, according to him.
During an impressive military parade on April 25, he said he could use the nuclear arsenal if the “fundamental interests” of North Korea were threatened.
Many shots since the beginning of the year
Kim Jong-un reiterated these remarks during a meeting with senior officers whom he wanted to salute for the work done during this military parade. This was organized as part of the 90th anniversary of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army.
On this occasion, the most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) of the country were presented. Despite severe international sanctions, North Korea continues to modernize its army.
Since the beginning of the year, Pyongyuang has carried out more than a dozen test launches, including launching a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), for the first time since 2017. The country continues to ignore the proposals for the resumption of negotiations made by Washington.
The remarks of the North Korean leader could be addressed to the new elected president of South Korea, the conservative Yoon Suk-Yeol, who will take office on May 10, according to analysts. They believe that Kim Jong-un’s warnings are intended to put pressure on the new government in Seoul.
“Mr. Kim’s remarks speak to the fact that he does not want to engage with Mr. Yoon’s new administration or restart denuclearization talks with the United States,” said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies. at Ewha University in Seoul.