North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for the armed forces to continue to develop into an “invincible” entity at a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, state media reported on Saturday.
In a speech delivered Friday night, Kim reaffirmed a will to bolster the nation’s defense capabilities, but he did not issue threats directly targeting South Korea or the United States.
The North’s leader stressed that the country’s sovereignty can only be “defended and guaranteed by strength,” according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
“Our army should continue to grow into an invincible entity that destroys all threats approaching our range of self-defence by dint of its political, ideological, military and technical superiority overwhelming the enemy, and it should steadily strengthen itself into elite armed forces which win victory after victory on the strength of morality and discipline,” he said.
His remarks came as North Korea has been ramping up the development of missiles and other weapons under its five-year defence plan. The North showcased the new Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time at the latest military parade.
Describing the military as a “source of strength” for the WPK, Kim lauded the role of the North’s troops fighting alongside Russia to support the war with Ukraine, according to the KCNA.
“The heroic fighting spirit displayed, and the victory achieved, by our revolutionary armed forces on the foreign battlefields for international justice and genuine peace, demonstrated the ideological and spiritual perfection of our army,” he said.
Kim highlighted the North’s troops deployed to the Ukraine war in front of foreign guests invited to events celebrating the party anniversary, including Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council.
The North’s leader also vowed to continue the country’s struggle to oppose “injustice and hegemony,” a remark apparently targeting the U.S. But his speech did not include any fiery comments against Washington or Seoul, Yonhap news agency reported.
At last month’s key parliamentary meeting, Kim said he has “good memories” of US President Donald Trump and North Korea is open to talks with the US if Washington drops its demand for the North’s denuclearization.
