Reports: Kim Jong Un touts his nuclear arsenal, says there will be no more war [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• During a veterans celebration of the 67th anniversary of the end of the Korean War, North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un touted the country’s nuclear arsenal, saying that Pyongyang can prevent war and defend itself from military threats.
• Kim’s comments followed the latest remarks from both US and North Korean officials who said that another summit between the two countries anytime soon would be unlikely.
• Since 2018, Kim and US President Donald Trump have met thrice after the Supreme leader reached out to both US and South Korea.

During the July 27 commemoration of the 67th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un bragged about North Korea’s nuclear weapons.

According to the Korean Central News Agency, the North Korean leader said that they can avoid a potential war because their arsenal could secure the country’s safety despite military threats from other nations.

Kim said that their weapons were developed at its best capacity, emphasizing an “absolute strength” to win another potential armed conflict. According to Reuters, the supreme leader talked about the defensive capability of the country’s nuclear program.

“Now we are capable of defending ourselves in the face of any form of high-intensity pressure and military threats from imperialist and hostile forces,” Kim said. “Thanks to our reliable and effective self-defensive nuclear deterrent, there will no longer be war, and our country’s safety and future will be firmly guaranteed forever.”

Kim’s announcement was made after recent remarks from both North Korean and US officials who expressed their hesitation to participate in another diplomatic meeting about Pyongyang’s nuclear program in the near future.

According to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, President Donald Trump would only want to discuss with Kim if there would be actual progress.

Kim Yo Jong, Kim’s sister, and a senior official said that a new summit is not feasible for the country, adding that they won’t give Trump a top-level meeting that he can use to tout his foreign policy accolades. 

Since 2018, Kim and Trump have met thrice after the North Korean leader reached out to both US and South Korea to express his intentions to scrap his nuclear arsenal. But Kim’s commitment to demilitarize North Korea seems doubtful, experts claimed. They said that Kim’s main goal was to loosen the US-led sanctions and bolster his nuclear program.

Trump’s rejection of Kim’s proposal to obtain large-scale sanctions aid as compensation for a limited denuclearization effort has resulted in a failed second summit of both nations that was supposedly scheduled in February 2019. Since then, their diplomatic talks had been parked. 

The Hermit Kingdom’s chairman said this year that he will beef up his military prowess and warned to come up with a new “strategic” weapon, adding that he would ditch his self-imposed deferral of high-level military weapons.

Source: New York Post