The Japan Times - N. Korea's Kim vows 'irreversible' nuclear status, warns Seoul of 'merciless' response

Kim also told the country's rubber-stamp legislature in a policy address on Monday that the United States was committing "state terrorism" in an apparent reference to its military attacks on Iran.

"We will continue to firmly consolidate our status as a nuclear-armed state as an irreversible course, while aggressively stepping up our struggle against hostile forces," Kim told the Supreme People's Assembly.

"We will, in line with the mission entrusted by the Constitution of the Republic... further expand and advance our self-defensive nuclear deterrent," Kim said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

While the United States and Israel have said that their attacks on Iran are to stop the Islamic republic from developing nuclear weapons -- an aim Tehran denies -- Pyongyang's atomic activities are thought to be light years ahead by comparison.

Despite years of sanctions and diplomatic isolation, the Chinese ally is estimated to have dozens of nuclear warheads and the fissile material for many more.

The poor communist country has also unveiled increasingly sophisticated delivery systems, including new solid‑fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles that can launch with little warning. It has done six nuclear tests.

Kim, a day after his reappointment as head of the authoritarian nation's highest policymaking body, the State Affairs Commission, also did not mince words about his southern neighbour.

"We will designate South Korea as the most hostile state and deal with it by thoroughly rejecting and disregarding it," Kim said.

The announcement came despite repeated overtures by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, a doveish leader who took office in June, for dialogue without preconditions. Pyongyang has ignored these gestures.

Pyongyang will "make it pay mercilessly -- without the slightest consideration or hesitation -- for any act that infringes upon our Republic," Kim added.

- 'Grave concern' -

Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said that Kim's comments on consolidating its nuclear status reflect "the extent to which Kim and the leadership perceive the current US actions with deep concern and seriousness".

"It indicates that Kim and the leadership, viewing recent US attacks on Venezuela and Iran with grave concern, interpret these developments as reinforcing their decision to pursue the further advancement of North Korea's nuclear capabilities," Hong told AFP.

In recent months, Washington has pushed to revive high-level talks with Pyongyang, eyeing a possible summit with Kim this year, potentially around US President Donald Trump's delayed visit to Beijing in April.

"The United States and its allies are constantly bringing nuclear strategic assets into the areas surrounding our country, shaking the foundations of regional security," Kim said.

"The United States is carrying out acts of state terrorism and aggression across the world, but the arrogant and reckless exercise of its power has not weakened progressive humanity's will to oppose domination and subjugation and to achieve independence and equality."

Photos released on state media on Tuesday showed Kim, wearing a suit, waving to legislators in response to their standing ovation and being cheered by a flag-waving crowd as he strode down a red carpet.

Kim is the third-generation ruler of the state founded by his grandfather Kim Il Sung in 1948, and has ruled the country since his father's death in 2011.

On the economic front, Kim outlined a goal of increasing industrial output by 1.5 times.

There had been "clear progress in economic growth" over the past five years, he said.

"We have renovated key machine factories... while overcoming various difficulties and deviations", he noted.

Such feats "shattered... false claims of hostile forces that there can be no prosperity without nuclear abandonment", he said.

Kim said 15.8 percent of the total spending for 2026 will be devoted to defence, compared to 15.7 percent in 2025.

Y.Hara--JT