North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said it was up to the country’s adversaries to choose “confrontation or peaceful coexistence,” vowing that Pyongyang was “prepared to respond” to either option, the Rodong Sinmun reported on Tuesday.
Kim further said that North Korea had “never once rejected peace” during a policy speech on Monday, the second day of the first session of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly.
In his speech, Kim reaffirmed that North Korea has no intention of abandoning its nuclear weapons nor its opposition to reunification, stating that he would “continue to consolidate our absolutely irreversible status as a nuclear power” and labeling South Korea as “the most hostile state.”
However, it is noteworthy that Kim emphasized that North Korea has never rejected peace and that he is ready to respond to whatever course its adversaries take. This is because the “enemies” he referred to in abstract terms naturally include the “most hostile state” of South Korea.
Furthermore, while the ruling party-run Rodong Sinmun reported that the name of North Korea’s constitution was changed, from “Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” to “Constitution of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” at this assembly, it did not disclose the specific details of the constitutional amendments.
It also did not clarify whether North Korea’s current stance of maintaining a hostile, anti-unification two-state dynamic — a matter of utmost concern — was explicitly enshrined in the constitution.
Kim’s public statement that North Korea is “prepared to respond to any choice made by our adversaries,” along with the decision not to disclose the details of the constitutional amendments, represents a policy stance that is less antagonistic than expected by Seoul.
In particular, Kim described the current international situation as “unpredictably complex and multifaceted,” emphasizing that “the surest way to prepare for unpredictability is to be ready for all possibilities.” As is only logical, “all possibilities” encompasses dialogue and negotiation.
Kim stated that North Korea "officially recognize[s]" South Korea "as the most hostile nation and [would] thoroughly ignore and disregard it through the clearest remarks and actions." He also warned that Pyongyang would not hesitate to make South Korea pay a “merciless” price if it provokes the North.
As for the United States, Kim characterized it as an “arrogant and brutal” entity that commits “state- terrorism and aggression” all over the world, but did not clearly specify how North Korea would respond to such behavior.
However, he emphasized solidarity with countries at odds with the US, saying that the drive to build a “fair and just multipolar world” will gain momentum and vowing, “The government of the DPRK will willingly undertake and fulfill the historic mission of leading the global trend toward autonomy.”
“Dignity, interest and the final victory of a country can only be guaranteed by the most powerful might,” Kim said, declaring that North Korea will “continue to solidify its status as a nuclear weapons state [. . .] while aggressively staging campaigns to crush any provocations by hostile forces.”
“For peace to be a choice of the powerful rather than a sign of weakness, it must be accompanied by immense strength,” the North Korean leader said.
“Our government is unwavering in our position: we will employ all available means to uphold the nation’s sovereignty and system, and defend our rights to development, security, and survival against the threats of hostile forces,” he said.
Kim stated, “In accordance with the requirements of the policy to strengthen our national nuclear forces, we will further expand and develop our self-defensive nuclear deterrent and fully prepare the republic’s nuclear forces for swift and precise response, thereby managing strategic threats to national and regional security with ironclad resolve.”
Kim argued that the legitimacy of the “strategic line of self-reliance and strengthening of nuclear forces” has been proven in reality, stating, “I can affirm that our country is no longer a nation under threat; we possess the power to pose a threat if necessary.”
He emphasized that the North “will never tolerate” schemes by parties seeking to infringe upon the nation’s sovereign interests, security, and the right to development.
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