SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has threatened to expand his nuclear arsenal by releasing a list of developing high-tech weapon systems, saying the fate of relations with the United States depends on abandoning its hostile political systems, state media reported on Saturday.
Kim’s comments during a major ruling party meeting this week were seen as pressure on the next administration of President-elect Joe Biden, who called Kim a “thug” and criticized his summit meetings with President Donald Trump.
The Central Korean News Agency quoted Kim as saying that “the key to establishing new relations between (North Korea) and the United States is whether the United States will withdraw its hostile policy”.
“This portends that relations between North Korea and the United States will not be smooth over the next four years with Biden in office,” said Nam Sung-wook, a North Korea expert at the University of South Korea, adding that any concessions of Kim were unlikely.
Kim said he will not use his nuclear arsenal unless “hostile forces” intend to use his nuclear weapons against North Korea first. He also suggested that he is open to dialogue if Washington is too, but emphasized that North Korea must further strengthen its military and nuclear capabilities to deal with the growing hostility of the United States.
Kim did not cite any specific US actions. North Korea has already called for regular US military exercises with South Korea, US surveillance aircraft flights and the American military presence in South Korea as evidence of hostility. In particular, the North sees the US-South Korea exercises as an invasion trial, although the allies have repeatedly denied this.
Kim listed state-of-the-art weapon systems that he said were in development. They include a missile with several warheads, nuclear missiles launched underwater, long-range missiles powered by solid fuel and spy satellites. He said North Korea must also advance the precision attack capability on targets in the 15,000-kilometer (9,320-mile) attack range, an apparent reference to the U.S. continent, and develop technology to manufacture smaller, lighter nuclear warheads for long-range missiles can be assembled more easily.
“Nothing would be more foolish and dangerous than not relentlessly strengthening our power and having a relaxed attitude at a time when we clearly see that the enemy’s state-of-the-art weapons are being increased more than ever,” said Kim. “The reality is that we can achieve peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula when we are constantly building our national defense and suppressing US military threats.”
It is not clear whether North Korea is capable of developing such systems. It is one of the most enclosed countries in the world, and estimates of the exact status of its nuclear and missile programs vary widely. In 2018, the South Korean government said North Korea had up to 60 nuclear weapons.
“What they want to say to the US is that we are developing new strategic weapons that you can see as the most intimidating. Do you want to come to the negotiating table? ”Choi Kang, vice president of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, said. “While Kim leaves the door open for conversations, he is still sending a message to Biden that he is not an easy (dialogue) partner.”
The ruling party congress met for the first time in five years. KCNA said Kim spoke for nine hours during his review of the party’s projects from Tuesday to Thursday.
The congress is the main decision-making body of the Workers’ Party and is being held as Kim faces what appears to be the most difficult moment of his nine-year government due to the triple blow to his already fragile economy – border closure related to pandemic that drastically reduced foreign trade in the North, a series of natural disasters last summer and US-led sanctions.
During his opening speech, Kim called the difficulties “worse” and “unprecedented”. He also admitted that his previous economic plans had failed and promised to adopt a new five-year development plan.
Since taking office in late 2011, Kim, who turned 37 on Friday, has promoted the so-called “byungjin” policy of simultaneously pursuing economic growth and expanding his nuclear deterrence system.
After a series of torrid weapons tests in 2016-17, Kim claimed to have acquired the ability to attack the American continent with nuclear missiles. Weapon tests called for new rounds of crippling sanctions led by the United States, including a ban on important export items such as coal, seafood and textiles, and a significant reduction in oil imports.
In 2018, Kim abruptly entered into nuclear disarmament negotiations with Trump, seeking to lift sanctions without giving up his nuclear program entirely. But his diplomacy failed during the second summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, in early 2019, when Trump rejected Kim’s request for broad sanctions in exchange for the dismantling of his main nuclear complex, which would amount to a limited stage of denuclearization.
Kim has since openly promised to increase his nuclear capacity.
Biden, who will take office on January 20, is unlikely to hold direct meetings with Kim unless the North Korean leader takes significant denuclearization measures.