In a stern conclusion to the year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has escalated tensions by issuing fresh threats of a nuclear attack on Seoul and directing the military to gear up for a potential war that he claims could break out at any time on the Korean peninsula, as reported by state media on Sunday.
Kim’s extensive speech, marking the conclusion of five days of year-end party meetings that shaped North Korea’s military, political, and economic strategies for 2024, lambasted the United States. During the meeting, plans were unveiled for significant military developments in the upcoming year. These include launching three additional spy satellites, constructing unmanned drones, enhancing electronic warfare capabilities, and fortifying nuclear and missile forces, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Throughout the year, Pyongyang achieved milestones such as the successful launch of a reconnaissance satellite, formalising its status as a nuclear power in its constitution, and test-firing its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
At the meeting’s conclusion on Saturday, Kim Jong Un accused the United States of posing “various types of military threats” and instructed the armed forces to maintain an “overwhelming war response capability,” as per KCNA. Kim emphasised the inevitability of a potential war due to what he described as “reckless moves by the enemies to invade us.”
In response to perceived threats, Washington deployed a nuclear-powered submarine in the South Korean port city of Busan earlier this month and conducted drills with Seoul and Tokyo involving long-range bombers.
Kim Jong Un, expressing urgency, stated, “We must respond quickly to a possible nuclear crisis and continue to accelerate preparations to pacify the entire territory of South Korea by mobilising all physical means and forces, including nuclear force, in case of emergency.”
In a significant shift, Kim Jong Un announced that he would no longer pursue reconciliation and reunification with South Korea, citing a “persisting uncontrollable crisis situation” attributed to Seoul and Washington. This decision led to orders for the reorganisation of departments handling cross-border affairs.
Despite international pressure, North Korea declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear power last year and consistently asserts its commitment to maintaining its nuclear programme for survival, disregarding numerous UN Security Council resolutions calling for a halt to its nuclear and ballistic missile activities since 2006.