Kim accused Washington of turning its military alliance with Seoul and Tokyo into a more offensive and aggressive bloc “unmistakably aimed at the DPRK,” the acronym for North Korea’s official name.
He cited U.S.-led military exercises, South Korea’s nuclear-powered submarine plans and what he described as Japan’s efforts to exploit international turbulence to accelerate rearmament.
The remarks paired criticism of the three countries’ military cooperation with a defense of Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal as a force for regional stability.
Kim claimed that the absence of armed conflict on or around the Korean Peninsula reflected North Korea’s possession of a deterrent “strong enough to break anyone’s will to start a war of aggression.”
“The DPRK’s nuclear deterrent is the absolute might and irresistible force designed, from A to Z, to safeguard sovereignty, security and peace against aggression and threats from outside,” he said.
He insisted there was no going back on North Korea’s nuclear status, regardless of what hostile countries might say “in chorus with all kinds of rhetoric.”
Describing his country as a responsible nuclear-weapons state, Kim said Pyongyang would counter external threats through overwhelming strength to defend its sovereignty and guarantee peace in the region and beyond.
He also accused the United States of undermining the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of other countries, saying international law and order were being trampled upon “due to the unilateral high-handedness and tyranny of a hegemonic State.”
Kim called for reform of the United Nations, arguing that the organization should no longer be misused by particular powers for political purposes.
AJP Takeaways
- North Korea declares nuclear status irreversible: Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong told the United Nations that Pyongyang would retain its nuclear arsenal, claiming it prevents conflict on the Korean Peninsula.
- Pyongyang criticizes Seoul’s submarine plans: Kim condemned South Korea’s pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines and accused the United States, South Korea and Japan of building an increasingly aggressive military bloc.
- North Korea calls for UN reform: Kim accused Washington of undermining other countries’ sovereignty and said the United Nations should be protected from misuse by powerful states for political purposes.
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