North Korea: Kim wants to expand nuclear weapons program

According to North Korean ruler Kim, the isolated country’s nuclear forces are to be further developed with “the greatest possible speed”. Apparently he’s just not thinking about detention.

North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un has announced a more rapid expansion of his country’s nuclear weapons program. According to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, Kim was quoted by state-controlled media as saying that nuclear capabilities should be developed “at the greatest possible speed”. Kim delivered a speech during a military parade in the center of the capital Pyongyang late Monday evening (local time).

According to Kim, the weapons were primarily meant for deterrence, but could also be used in attacks on “fundamental interests” of North Korea. “The fundamental mission of our nuclear forces is deterrence, but our nuclear weapons cannot be tied to just one mission.”

military show with missiles

The military display also showcased tactical weapons, including North Korea’s largest ICBM, the Hwaseongpho-17. The reason for the propaganda spectacle was the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Revolutionary People’s Army (KPRA). North Korea uses it to name the guerrilla units that once fought against the Japanese colonial power. In addition to the KPRA’s Raising Day on 25 April, the country also declared 8 February as the day of the founding of its current People’s Army.

North Korea is largely subject to international sanctions and largely isolated because of its nuclear and missile program. The North Korean leadership often uses public holidays to demonstrate military might. Parades are often used to strengthen internal unity.

“Symbol of National Power”

Kim reportedly warned in a recent military review that any hostile forces would cease to exist after calling for a military confrontation. North Korea is ready 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 several missiles this year, including a . also includes ICBM Tested capable of carrying nuclear weapons. According to experts, nuclear weapons tests are also likely to resume. No nuclear weapons have been tested in North Korea since 2017. Recently, however, satellite images have shown signs of new activity at North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear test site.

United Nations resolutions ban North Korea from testing nuclear-capable missiles of any range. Experts suspect that Pyongyang also wants to use the tests to increase pressure on the United States to submit concrete proposals for new talks. Talks with North Korea over its nuclear program have stalled for more than three years.