Kim Jong Un has vowed to speed up North Korea's defence and nuclear programmes, blaming US and South Korean military modernisation for pushing the region "to the brink of a nuclear war," state media reported. KCNA said a three-day Workers' Party meeting concluded that expanding nuclear forces is the correct response to an unpredictable security environment and that development will proceed "at increasing speed." Analysts say the language effectively shuts down denuclearisation talks and signals Pyongyang plans to use its nuclear arsenal as a lasting diplomatic and strategic lever.
Kim Jong Un Pledges Accelerated Military and Nuclear Buildup, Citing US and South Korea
This picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaking at the Second Plenary Meeting of the Ninth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, in North Pyongan Province (STR)(STR/KCNA VIA KNS/AFP)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to accelerate his country's defence and nuclear development, blaming recent military modernisation by South Korea and the United States for driving the region "to the brink of a nuclear war," state media reported.
What Kim Announced
The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted Kim as saying in his concluding address to a three-day Workers' Party meeting that the regime will "beef up the national defence capabilities faster." The meeting, which wrapped up on Monday, reviewed senior officials' policy initiatives and reportedly endorsed a major expansion of Pyongyang's deterrent forces.
"The US and the ROK are pushing forward with the ROK's possession of a nuclear submarine while getting evermore undisguised in their moves towards the reinforcement and modernisation of armed forces in the region," KCNA quoted Kim as saying.
Policy Direction And Pace
KCNA said participants "unanimously recognised that to steadily expand and strengthen the nuclear forces... is the most correct and unique way to actively and confidently cope with the unpredictable international military and political situation." The agency added that development of a war deterrent "with nuclear technology as a basis" will proceed "at increasing speed."
Analysts' Interpretation
Seoul analyst Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification told AFP that Kim's rhetoric provides a narrative to justify strengthening nuclear capabilities in response to moves by South Korea and the US. Hong said the language effectively closes the door on denuclearisation talks and treats the regime's nuclear status as irreversible, signalling an intent to use nuclear arms as a persistent diplomatic and strategic lever.
Domestic And Regional Context
Pyongyang has described itself as an "irreversible" nuclear state since the 2019 Hanoi summit between Kim and then-US president Donald Trump collapsed over denuclearisation and sanctions relief. Kim's sister, Yo Jong, reiterated this month that the North's nuclear policy is a "line of no retreat."
North Korea remains under multiple international sanctions for its nuclear programme, and the Korean peninsula is still technically at war because the 1950-53 conflict ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
Responses
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung recently said US President Donald Trump told him it was time to "pay attention to the North Korea issue." Lee said he had raised at a G7 meeting that sanctions on the North were "ineffective," and that Trump agreed that the issue required focused attention.
Implication: The meeting and Kim's public comments suggest Pyongyang intends to accelerate its military and nuclear programs, complicating diplomatic options and increasing regional security tensions.
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