In a year-end address that concluded five days of party meetings, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has escalated tensions with fresh threats of a nuclear attack on Seoul and directives for a military arsenal build-up, signaling readiness for a potential war on the Korean peninsula, as reported by state media on Sunday.
During the meeting that concluded on Saturday, plans for military development in the upcoming year were unveiled, including the launch of three more spy satellites, the construction of unmanned drones, and the development of electronic warfare capabilities. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim accused the United States of posing various military threats and ordered armed forces to maintain overwhelming war response capability.
Kim emphasized the inevitability of a war, stating, “It is a fait accompli that a war can break out at any time on the Korean peninsula due to reckless moves by the enemies to invade us.” In response to perceived provocations by the United States, including the deployment of a nuclear-powered submarine in the South Korean port city of Busan, Kim called for swift responses to possible nuclear crises and the acceleration of preparations to pacify the entire territory of South Korea.
In a significant shift in policy, Kim declared that North Korea would no longer seek reconciliation and reunification with South Korea due to the persisting uncontrollable crisis situation triggered by Seoul and Washington. This comes as inter-Korean relations reached a low point this year, with Pyongyang’s spy satellite launch prompting Seoul to partially suspend a 2018 military agreement aimed at defusing tensions.
Kim also ordered the reorganization of departments handling cross-border affairs, aiming to fundamentally shift their direction. Analysts, such as Leif Easley, a professor of international relations at Ewha University in Seoul, suggest that the emphasis on North Korea’s significant military capabilities might be a tactic to divert attention from the country’s poor economic achievements this year.
Easley commented, “Pyongyang’s bellicose rhetoric suggests its military moves are not only about deterrence but also domestic politics and international coercion.” North Korea declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear power last year and has consistently asserted its refusal to abandon its nuclear program, viewing it as essential for regime survival. The United Nations Security Council has issued numerous resolutions calling on North Korea to halt its nuclear and ballistic missile programs since its first nuclear test in 2006.
