SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned that his nuclear-armed country could “completely destroy” South Korea if its security were threatened, reiterating his refusal to engage with Seoul. However, he left the door open to dialogue with Washington as he concluded a ruling party congress in the capital Pyongyang.Kim also declared his intention to expand North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and operational range, calling on the United States to respect his country’s nuclear power, in a rare message to Washington.North Korea has “absolutely no business dealing with South Korea, its most hostile entity, and will permanently exclude South Korea from the category of compatriots,” Kim said.”As long as South Korea cannot escape the geopolitical conditions of having a border with us, the only way to live safely is to give up everything related to us and leave us alone.”In recent years Kim has sharpened his rhetoric toward Seoul and underscored his rejection of inter-Korean diplomacy.Kim left the door open to dialogue with Washington if it acknowledged the country as a nuclear power.If Washington “respects our country’s current status as stipulated in the Constitution… and withdraws its hostile policy… there is no reason why we cannot get along well with the United States,” Kim said, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).Speculation is mounting that US President Donald Trump may seek a meeting with Kim when he travels to China later this year.KCNA said that Kim also called for developing new weapons systems to bolster his nuclear-armed military, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that could be launched from underwater and an expanded arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons, such as artillery and short-range missiles, targeting South Korea.The Workers’ Party congress, which began last Thursday in Pyongyang, is the country’s most important political event. KCNA said the North staged a military parade in the capital Wednesday as it wrapped up the congress, previously held in 2016 and 2021.Kim watched the parade with his increasingly prominent daughter, believed to be around 13 years old and named Kim Ju-ae.Kim has recently been prioritising Russia in his foreign policy, sending thousands of troops and large amounts of military equipment to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine, possibly in exchange for aid and military technology.But it would make sense to keep his options open as the war in Ukraine could wind down, potentially making Pyongyang less valuable to Moscow, experts say.The prospects of US-North Korea relations “depends entirely on the US attitude,” Kim said. “Whether it’s peaceful coexistence or permanent confrontation, we are ready for either, and the choice is not ours to make.”He also addressed its neighbour South Korea, saying that it would “permanently exclude Seoul from the category of compatriots”, adding that “as long as South Korea cannot escape the geopolitical conditions of having a border with us, the only way to live safely is to give up everything related to us and leave us alone”.One analyst told AFP that Pyongyang’s latest remarks signaled “an intention to pursue relations with the US independently, without going through South Korea.”Despite long-standing international sanctions, North Korea has continued to build its nuclear capabilities, regularly testing banned intercontinental missiles.State-run KCNA said this week that under Kim’s leadership North Korea “radically improved” its “war deterrence”, “with the nuclear forces as its pivot”.The secrecy of the regime, however, makes it difficult to evaluate how much progress its military has actually made.North Korea has repeatedly rejected Washington and Seoul’s calls to resume diplomacy aimed at winding down its nuclear program, which derailed in 2019 following the collapse of Kim’s second summit with Trump during his first term. — AgenciesSEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned that his nuclear-armed country could “completely destroy” South Korea if its security were threatened, reiterating his refusal to engage with Seoul. However, he left the door open to dialogue with Washington as he concluded a ruling party congress in the capital Pyongyang.Kim also declared his intention to expand North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and operational range, calling on the United States to respect his country’s nuclear power, in a rare message to Washington.North Korea has “absolutely no business dealing with South Korea, its most hostile entity, and will permanently exclude South Korea from the category of compatriots,” Kim said.”As long as South Korea cannot escape the geopolitical conditions of having a border with us, the only way to live safely is to give up everything related to us and leave us alone.”In recent years Kim has sharpened his rhetoric toward Seoul and underscored his rejection of inter-Korean diplomacy.Kim left the door open to dialogue with Washington if it acknowledged the country as a nuclear power.If Washington “respects our country’s current status as stipulated in the Constitution… and withdraws its hostile policy… there is no reason why we cannot get along well with the United States,” Kim said, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).Speculation is mounting that US President Donald Trump may seek a meeting with Kim when he travels to China later this year.KCNA said that Kim also called for developing new weapons systems to bolster his nuclear-armed military, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that could be launched from underwater and an expanded arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons, such as artillery and short-range missiles, targeting South Korea.The Workers’ Party congress, which began last Thursday in Pyongyang, is the country’s most important political event. KCNA said the North staged a military parade in the capital Wednesday as it wrapped up the congress, previously held in 2016 and 2021.Kim watched the parade with his increasingly prominent daughter, believed to be around 13 years old and named Kim Ju-ae.Kim has recently been prioritising Russia in his foreign policy, sending thousands of troops and large amounts of military equipment to support Moscow’s war against Ukraine, possibly in exchange for aid and military technology.But it would make sense to keep his options open as the war in Ukraine could wind down, potentially making Pyongyang less valuable to Moscow, experts say.The prospects of US-North Korea relations “depends entirely on the US attitude,” Kim said. “Whether it’s peaceful coexistence or permanent confrontation, we are ready for either, and the choice is not ours to make.”He also addressed its neighbour South Korea, saying that it would “permanently exclude Seoul from the category of compatriots”, adding that “as long as South Korea cannot escape the geopolitical conditions of having a border with us, the only way to live safely is to give up everything related to us and leave us alone”.One analyst told AFP that Pyongyang’s latest remarks signaled “an intention to pursue relations with the US independently, without going through South Korea.”Despite long-standing international sanctions, North Korea has continued to build its nuclear capabilities, regularly testing banned intercontinental missiles.State-run KCNA said this week that under Kim’s leadership North Korea “radically improved” its “war deterrence”, “with the nuclear forces as its pivot”.The secrecy of the regime, however, makes it difficult to evaluate how much progress its military has actually made.North Korea has repeatedly rejected Washington and Seoul’s calls to resume diplomacy aimed at winding down its nuclear program, which derailed in 2019 following the collapse of Kim’s second summit with Trump during his first term. — Agencies
North Korea, Kim Jong Un, South Korea, US dialogue
