Politics

Kim defends right to develop weapons in face of hostile threats

Seoul, Oct 12 (EFE).- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has defended the right of his country to develop weapons in the face of threats from “hostile forces including the United States,” stating that Washington has not changed its aggressive policy toward Pyongyang.

In a speech delivered on Monday at an arms exhibition, Kim said there was no “behavioral basis for believing that” the US is not hostile towards North Korea despite “frequent signals in recent years” from Washington.

“For our future generations, we must be strong. First you have to be strong,” Kim said in the remarks published by the official Korea Central News Agency on Tuesday.

The remarks came less than two weeks after North Korea launched a new anti-aircraft missile, marking its fourth weapons test in September.

North Korea and the South have signaled growing arms escalation on the Korean peninsula this year.

The North Korean leadership has rejected offers of unconditional dialog from Washington to restart denuclearization talks stalled since 2019.

During the exhibition, held to commemorate the 76th anniversary of the mark 76th anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, Kim said the country was facing increasing security challenges.

“The security risk from the military tension around the Korean peninsula is different from what it was 10 years ago, five years ago, or even three years ago,” he said.

“You can see the contents of the various military exercises that the United States and South Korea frequently hold. Looking at it, you can easily guess how the future of the Korean peninsula will change with the security environment.”

He alleged that the US was “still creating regional tensions with its wrong judgments and actions.”

“What is clear is that the political instability in the Korean peninsula cannot be easily resolved due to its origin in the United States.”

He accused South Korea of a “hypocritical and violent double attitude” in modernizing its military capabilities.

“It would be dangerous to neglect such a virtuous attempt by South Korea.”

But he reiterated that “obviously, we are not strengthening our national defense capabilities” to target South Korea, with which the North has been technically at war for more than 70 years.

He said “the terrible history of using arms” on the peninsula “must never be repeated.”

“Our main enemy is the war itself, not South Korea, the United States or any particular country or power.” EFE

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