North Korean leader Kim Jong Un concluded the year with an ominous tone, issuing fresh threats of a nuclear attack on Seoul and ordering a military buildup in preparation for a potential war, according to state media reports on Sunday.
During a lengthy speech at the end of five days of year-end party meetings, Kim Jong Un criticized the United States, accusing it of posing “various forms of military threat.” The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim directed his armed forces to maintain an “overwhelming war response capability.”
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The meeting outlined plans for further military development in 2024, including the launch of three spy satellites, the construction of unmanned drones, and the development of electronic warfare capabilities. Additionally, there are intentions to strengthen nuclear and missile forces, as Pyongyang successfully launched a reconnaissance satellite and test-fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) this year.
Kim Jong Un declared it a “fait accompli that a war may break out on the Korean peninsula any time” due to what he referred to as the enemies’ “reckless moves for invading the DPRK.” In response, Washington deployed a nuclear-powered submarine in the South Korean port city of Busan and conducted joint drills with Seoul and Tokyo involving long-range bombers.
North Korea Kim Jong Un Announces Change In policies
To address what Kim deemed an “uncontrollable crisis,” he announced a shift in policy, stating that North Korea would no longer seek reconciliation and reunification with South Korea. Inter-Korean relations reached a low point this year, with Seoul partially suspending a 2018 military agreement following Pyongyang’s spy satellite launch.
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Leif Easley, a professor of international relations at Ewha University in Seoul, suggested that North Korea’s emphasis on its “significant military capabilities” could be a diversion from its poor economic achievements. He noted that Pyongyang’s bellicose rhetoric serves purposes beyond deterrence, including domestic politics and international coercion.
Pyongyang declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear power in 2022 and remains adamant about retaining its nuclear weapons program, which it considers essential for survival. The United Nations Security Council has repeatedly called on North Korea to halt its nuclear and ballistic missile programs since its first nuclear test in 2006.
