Status: 04/26/2022 14:38
According to North Korean ruler Kim, the isolated country’s nuclear forces must be developed with “the greatest possible speed”. Apparently, he’s not just thinking about deterrence.
North Korea’s ruler Kim Jong Un has announced a faster expansion of his country’s nuclear weapons program. Kim was quoted as saying by state-controlled media, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, that nuclear capabilities must be developed “at the greatest possible speed”. Kim delivered a speech during a military parade on Monday night (local time) in the center of the capital Pyongyang.
Kim said the weapons were primarily intended for deterrence, but could also be used in attacks on North Korea’s “core interests”. “The fundamental mission of our nuclear forces is war deterrence, but our nuclear weapons cannot be tied to just one mission.”
Military show with missiles
Strategic weapons, including North Korea’s largest ICBM, the Hwasongpho-17, were also on display at the troop show. The reason for the propaganda spectacle was the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army (KPRA). North Korea uses it to name guerrilla units that once fought against Japanese colonial power. In addition to KPRA’s founding day on April 25, the country also declared February 8 as the founding day of its current People’s Army.
North Korea is subject to massive international sanctions over its nuclear and missile program and is largely isolated. The North Korean leadership often uses holidays to demonstrate military force. Parades are often used to strengthen internal unity.
“symbol of national strength”
Kim reportedly warned in the recent troop review that any hostile forces would cease to exist once they sought a military confrontation. North Korea is prepared to deploy its nuclear deterrent at any time. Kim described his country’s nuclear weapons as “a symbol of our national strength and the core of our military might”.
The country has tested several missiles this year, including an ICBM, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. According to experts, the resumption of nuclear weapons tests is also likely. No nuclear weapons have been tested in North Korea since 2017. Recently, however, satellite images have shown signs of new activity at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Korea.
UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing nuclear-capable missiles of any range. Experts suspect Pyongyang also wants to use the tests to increase pressure on the United States so it can come up with concrete proposals for further negotiations. Negotiations with North Korea over its nuclear program have been stalled for more than three years.