North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has announced plans to further develop the country’s nuclear weapons program, following accusations that the United States’ alliance with South Korea and Japan is escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
In a speech on Saturday marking the 77th anniversary of the Korean People’s Army, Kim described the security alliance between Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo as a serious threat to North Korea. He called the trilateral security arrangement “raising a grave challenge to the security environment of our state,” according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Kim accused the United States of fostering a NATO-style military bloc in the region, heightening North Korea’s security concerns. Amid stalled diplomatic negotiations in recent years, he has made it a priority to strengthen and modernise the country’s nuclear capabilities. This has led to an intensification of joint military drills by the United States and South Korea, along with trilateral exercises involving Japan.
Since taking office on January 20, President Trump has shown interest in re-engaging with Kim, citing their previous summits. “We will have relations with North Korea, with Kim Jong-un. I got along with him very well, as you know,” Trump said at a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday.
Despite this, both leaders reaffirmed their “resolute commitment to the complete denuclearisation of the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea).”
