North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for an “overwhelming” war readiness as he announced a military buildup and said he would no longer seek reconciliation and reunification with South Korea.
On Sunday, Kim criticized America in lengthy remarks, capping five days of ruling party meetings that set economic, military and foreign policy goals for the coming year.
“Due to the enemies' reckless invasion attempts, it is a fait accompli that a war can break out on the Korean Peninsula at any time,” he said, according to state news agency KCNA.
Kim promised to launch three new spy satellites in 2024, build more military drones and expand his nuclear arsenal, which analysts estimate could already include 20 to 60 warheads, if not more.
“The serious situation requires us to accelerate work to acquire overwhelming war response capabilities and thorough and perfect military readiness to suppress any kind of provocation by the enemy in one fell swoop,” Kim said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for an “overwhelming” war readiness as he announced a military buildup for 2024 on Sunday
Kim promised to launch three new spy satellites in 2024, build more military drones and expand his nuclear arsenal, which analysts estimate could already include 20 to 60 warheads
North Korea already has a spy satellite in orbit that was launched in November.
According to the Stimson Center's 38 North, the reclusive country unveiled two new types of military drones in July that closely resembled the large US Global Hawk and the medium-sized US Reaper.
At the meeting this week, Kim said he would no longer seek reconciliation and reunification with South Korea, citing the “ongoing uncontrollable crisis situation” that he said had been triggered by Seoul and Washington.
“I believe that viewing the people who declare us the 'main enemy' as opponents of reconciliation and unification is a mistake we should no longer make,” KCNA quoted Kim as saying.
“North-South relations are no longer a kinship or a homogeneous relationship, but have completely become a relationship between two hostile countries, two belligerents at war,” he said, calling the South a colonized state that has completely failed in terms of national defense and security dependent on the United States.
He ordered the military to prepare to “pacify the entire territory of South Korea,” including with nuclear bombs if necessary, in response to any attack.
Kim's speech comes a year ahead of crucial elections in both South Korea and the United States.
Experts say North Korea will continue to use military pressure to influence November's U.S. presidential election, which could see the return of former President Donald Trump, who traded both threats and historic diplomacy with Kim.
“Pyongyang may be waiting for the U.S. presidential election to see what provocations it can win in the next administration,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Women's University in Seoul.
President Joe Biden's administration says it is open to talks but imposed new sanctions as North Korea conducted more missile tests banned under United Nations sanctions.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gestures during the December 2023 Central Committee plenary session of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, Dec. 28
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, his daughter and an official watch what is believed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile being fired from an undisclosed location in North Korea
This undated image released by North Korea this month shows the test launch of a Hwasongpho-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at an undisclosed location
Since last year, Kim's military has fired more than 100 ballistic missiles, many of them nuclear-capable weapons, at the U.S. mainland in violation of U.N. bans.
The United States also increased its exercises and deployed more military assets, including nuclear submarines and large aircraft carriers, near the Korean peninsula.
Kim said the return of these weapons had completely transformed South Korea into a “front-line military base and nuclear arsenal” of the United States.
“If we look closely at the confrontational military actions of enemy forces… the word 'war' has become a realistic reality rather than an abstract concept,” Kim said.
Kim said he had no choice but to advance his nuclear ambitions and forge closer ties with other countries that oppose the United States. North Korea has close ties with both China and Russia.
“North Korea is preparing for a further escalation of tensions with Washington and Seoul for at least a year or more, and its tough policies will likely be accompanied by dialogue efforts even in the run-up to the US elections,” Yang Uk, an analyst at the Asan Institute, said for Policy Studies.
“Kim is building on his success with the spy satellite and adding three more, knowing that satellite capabilities are a powerful targeting tool for better nuclear command and control.”
South Korea will hold a general election in April that could impact the domestic and foreign policy agenda of conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has taken a hawkish stance toward Pyongyang.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) warned on Thursday that “there is a high probability that North Korea could unexpectedly carry out military provocations or launch a cyberattack in 2024, when uncertain political situations are expected with the elections.”
Last year, North Korea said it successfully launched its first military spy satellite and tested new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) believed to have the range to fire a nuclear warhead anywhere in the United States.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks at a rocket launcher before firing a Hwasong-18 ICBM during what North Korea calls an exercise this month
This photo provided by the North Korean government shows the launch of the Malligyong-1 military spy satellite into orbit on November 21, 2023, according to the country
Kim Jong-un visited the National Aerospace Technology Administration's Pyongyang General Control Center last month to examine photos from his new spy satellite
A new reactor at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear complex appears to be operating for the first time, the U.N. nuclear watchdog and independent experts said this month, meaning an additional potential source of plutonium for nuclear weapons.
North Korea has not tested nuclear weapons since 2017 but has taken steps in recent years to resume operations at its test site.
Kim said there would be more military developments in 2024, including strengthening nuclear and missile forces, building unmanned drones, expanding the submarine fleet and developing electronic warfare capabilities.
The spy satellite fleet would be the first such capability for the North.
That successful launch in November followed two failed attempts last year when the new Chollima-1 rocket crashed into the sea.
The move raised regional tensions and triggered new sanctions from the United States, Australia, Japan and South Korea.
Pyongyang has not yet released images of the new satellite, leaving analysts and foreign governments to debate its capabilities.
The apparent success also came after Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to help North Korea build satellites.
South Korean officials said Russian help likely made a difference in the mission's success, although experts said it was unclear how much help Moscow could have provided.