North Korea vows to further bolster nuclear arsenal
By Park Sae-jinPosted : February 9, 2025, 16:49Updated : February 9, 2025, 18:23
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks at an event commemorating the founding day of the Korean People's Army in Pyongyang on Feb. 8, 2025, in this photo released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency the following day.
SEOUL, February 9 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed his determination to further develop the country's nuclear weapons program and vowed to strongly respond to the "threats" the country faces.
The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Sunday that the U.S.-led trilateral security alliance, along with South Korea and Japan, poses "a grave challenge to the security environment" of North Korea, quoting its leader as saying.
During his visit to an event commemorating the founding day of its army the previous day, Kim reiterated that his country "does not want unnecessary tension of the regional situation but will take sustained countermeasures to ensure the regional military balance."
Kim then criticized the U.S. deployment of nuclear strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula and joint military drills, claiming that they pose a significant threat to North Korea's security.
He also accused the U.S. of "standing unfailingly behind the world's big and small disputes and tragedies of bloodshed."
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends an event commemorating the founding day of the Korean People's Army in Pyongyang on Feb. 8, 2025, in this photo released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency the following day.
His comments came after a series of recent overtures by U.S. President Donald Trump, who hinted at his willingness to engage in talks with North Korea following a meeting with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Washington on Friday.
