North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to solidify his country’s nuclear status while maintaining a tough stance on South Korea, which he called the “most hostile” state, state media reported Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.
In a speech Monday before Pyongyang’s parliament, Kim accused the United States of global “state terrorism and aggression,” in an apparent reference to the war in the Middle East, and said North Korea will play a more forceful role in a united front against Washington amid rising anti-American sentiment.
The AP reported that the North Korean official indicated that whether adversaries “choose confrontation or peaceful coexistence is up to them, and we are prepared to respond to either choice.”
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This photo, taken on February 15, 2026 and released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on February 16, shows Kim Jong Un delivering a speech at the inauguration ceremony of Saeppyol Street in Pyongyang. (KCNA via KNS/AFP via Getty Images)
“The nation’s dignity, its national interest and its ultimate victory can only be guaranteed by the strongest power,” Kim said, according to the AP. “The government of our republic will continue to consolidate our absolutely irreversible status as a nuclear power and will aggressively fight hostile forces to suppress their (anti-North Korean) provocations and designs.”
KIM JONG UN CALLS SOUTH KOREA ‘MOST HOSTILE ENEMY’, SAYS NORTH TO ‘COMPLETELY DESTROY IT’
This photo, taken on February 21, 2026 and released on February 22 by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS, shows Kim Jong Un speaking at the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang. (KCNA via KNS/AFP via Getty Images)
The U.S. Intelligence Community’s 2026 Annual Threat Assessment states“North Korea remains committed to expanding its strategic weapons programs, including missiles and nuclear warheads, and consolidating its deterrent capabilities.”
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This photo, taken on February 2, 2026 and released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on February 3, shows Kim Jong Un delivering a speech at the inauguration of the Samgwang Cattle Farm in North Pyongan Province. (KCNA via KNS/AFP via Getty Images)
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The US and Israel launched a war against Iran more than three weeks ago in an attempt to prevent the Islamic Republic from potentially joining the ranks of other countries that possess nuclear weapons.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
