North Korea's Kim Jong Un foresees hostility with South, bolsters nuclear stance for 2024
"The time has come for us to face reality and redefine our relations with the South," Kim declared. He warned that if Washington and Seoul instigate a military conflict with Pyongyang, his "deterrent against nuclear war would not hesitate to respond decisively," in a statement reported by the state news agency, KCNA.
4:54 PM EST, January 1, 2024
Kim expressed his view that seeking engagement with those who merely await his country's demise is misguided. He underscored Seoul's intention to achieve "unification by absorption."
North and South Korea have remained detached from each other since the cessation of the Korean War in 1953. A ceasefire was implemented between the South's Republic of Korea Army and the North's Korean People's Army. A delineation line was formed, severing the Korean Peninsula at the site of the former battleground. However, the South did not acknowledge the pact signed by Kim Il Sung and General Mark W. Clark of the United Nations forces.
The governments of Seoul and Pyongyang once spoke optimistically of potential unification, but tensions have escalated in recent years. Kim Jong Un, defying international sanctions, has expedited his militarization program, propelling the country into a nuclear power.
Last week, the North Korean news agency KCNA disclosed that Kim ordered the army, the military industry, the nuclear weapons sector, and civil defense to hasten preparedness for war. This move reportedly reacted to the "confrontational maneuvers" of the United States.
Kim Jong Un's stance on North Korean unification with South Korea: "Time for clarification"
According to Kim, 2024 will be a period of bolstering relations between China and the DPRK. Both nations anticipate mutual support in all sectors and enhanced collaboration in pursuing "regional and global protection, peace, and stability."
Kim Jong Un, outlining plans for 2024, also announced the launch of three additional spy satellites and the development of unmanned aerial vehicles, which will dictate the fortification of the military. The leader stated that North Korea will not be reticent in using nuclear deterrents against adversaries. He further cautioned that a war on the Korean Peninsula could erupt at any time, attributing this potential instability to the "reckless actions of enemies."
