North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stated that North Korea will enhance its nuclear capabilities without limitations and fully prepare for war.
According to the Korean Central News Agency, the Fourth Company Commanders and Political Instructors Meeting of the Korean People’s Army was held in Pyongyang on the 14th and 15th of November. Kim Jong-un attended the meeting on the 15th and made the above statement. Kim Jong-un mentioned that the path of strengthening nuclear capabilities has long been an irreversible policy of North Korea. Given the current situation, completing war preparations is an urgent task.
This meeting, held after a 10-year gap, saw the late North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il attending the first meeting in 1953 and the second meeting in 2006, respectively.
Kim Jong-un stated at the meeting that the “war waged by the United States and Western countries, using Ukraine as a spearhead against Russia,” should be seen as a war to increase combat experience and expand the scope of military intervention. However, Kim Jong-un did not mention the issue of North Korean military support for Russia.
Kim Jong-un criticized the military cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan as a significant threat to peace and stability. He expressed concerns about the expanding coverage of the US-led military alliances into regions such as Europe and the Asia-Pacific. Kim Jong-un mentioned that it would not be surprising if US and allied forces, under the banner of military alliances like NATO, were present in the Korean Peninsula area in case of an incident.
Kim Jong-un condemned the continued US military aid to Ukraine and Israel, leading to prolonged conflicts and more countries being drawn into them, exacerbating the international tensions.
According to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, this is the first time Kim Jong-un has criticized the United States since the end of the US presidential election.