North Korea nuclear expansion plans were reaffirmed by leader Kim Jong Un, who declared that the United States could “get along” with Pyongyang- but only if Washington recognises the country as a permanent nuclear power.
Door open to Washington
Speaking at the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang, Kim said future US-North Korea relations depend entirely on Washington’s stance.
“If the United States respects our present [nuclear] position as stipulated in the Constitution and withdraws its hostile policy, there is no reason why we cannot get along well with the United States,” Kim said, according to state media outlet KCNA.
He added that Pyongyang was prepared for either “peaceful coexistence or permanent confrontation”, insisting that the choice lay with the US.
The remarks are being interpreted as leaving open the possibility of renewed talks with US President Donald Trump, particularly ahead of Trump’s planned visit to China in April.
Expanded nuclear capability
At the same time, Kim made clear that North Korea would continue strengthening its nuclear programme.
“We will focus on projects to increase the number of nuclear weapons and expand nuclear operational means,” he said.
Despite longstanding international sanctions, North Korea has continued to test intercontinental ballistic missiles and develop its nuclear capabilities. State media this week claimed the country had “radically improved” its war deterrence, centred on its nuclear forces.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), North Korea is estimated to possess around 50 assembled nuclear warheads and sufficient fissile material to produce up to 40 more.
Kim has repeatedly dismissed the prospect of denuclearisation. In September, he told parliament that the concept had “already lost its meaning”, declaring North Korea a nuclear state and describing denuclearisation as “the last, last thing to expect from us”.
Tensions with South Korea
While signalling conditional openness to the US, Kim adopted a sharply hostile tone towards South Korea.
He said Pyongyang would “permanently exclude Seoul from the category of compatriots” and argued that South Korea’s security depended on distancing itself from the North.
Analysts cited by AFP suggested the latest statements indicate Pyongyang’s intention to pursue relations with Washington independently, without involving Seoul.
Political signalling at home
Images from the closing stages of the party congress showed Kim’s teenage daughter, Ju Ae, standing beside him at a military parade in Pyongyang, fuelling further speculation about succession plans.
Earlier this month, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service reportedly told lawmakers that Kim had selected Ju Ae, believed to be 13, as his heir.
The secrecy of the North Korean regime makes it difficult to assess the true scale of its military advances. However, Kim’s latest address underscores that North Korea nuclear expansion remains central to its strategic posture.
Source: BBC
Also read: US Iran nuclear talks resume in Geneva
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