North Korea's leader criticized US rapprochement with South Korea; announced plans to launch spy satellites
North Korea's leader Kim Jongun called for the country's armed forces to prepare for a possible war against South Korea. According to the North Korean, the conflict “could break out at any moment.”
The statements were made this Sunday (December 31, 2023) during the final session of the 9th Plenary Session of the 8th Central Committee of the Union of Workers' Party. The information comes from North Korean state broadcaster KCNA.
During his speech, Kim criticized the United States for its rapprochement with South Korea and Japan. He called the American military “gangsters” and the South Korean “puppets” and explained that the number of joint military exercises between the three nations in 2023 has doubled compared to last year.
“This clearly shows that the United States seeks a military confrontation with North Korea at all costs and is increasingly desperately preparing for it,” he said.
For the North Korean leader, military actions “exacerbate” the situation on the Korean peninsula. “The word 'war' now approaches us as something real and no longer an abstract concept,” he said.
According to Kim, the North Korean army must “strictly monitor and control” the situation on the peninsula and take measures to ensure the country's security. During the meeting, the North Korean leader unveiled plans to launch three military spy satellites next year. The first object of this kind was launched nationwide on November 21st and began operations on December 3rd.
Kim also stressed the need to create a “reliable base” for building nuclear weapons in the country. It also says that authorities need to improve the capabilities of submarines and develop various types of unmanned combat equipment, such as armed drones.
Regarding relations with South Korea, Kim said North Korea must take a new stance on reunification policy. According to the leader, the process “can never be achieved” because the South Korean authorities want to “absorb” North Korea and “destroy the country's social system and regime.”
“We must not again make the mistake of seeing them as partners for reconciliation and unification, since South Korea has declared us its main enemy,” he said.