Kim Jong-un announces countermeasure against South Korea's plan to possess nuclear submarines
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared an acceleration of the process of strengthening North Korea's military power, citing the efforts of Washington and Seoul to promote South Korea's possession of nuclear submarines.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un committed to accelerating the country's military buildup at a party meeting, state media reported on June 23, citing the military modernization efforts of South Korea and the US in the region.
Pyongyang is subject to numerous sanctions related to its nuclear program, and technically, the two Koreas are still in a state of war because the 1950-1953 conflict ended with an armistice agreement rather than a peace treaty.
"In his closing speech, Comrade Kim Jong-un reaffirmed the firm policy stance of our Party and state in speeding up the enhancement of defense capabilities," the North Korean state news agency KCNA reported.
![North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the country's liberation from Japan, in Pyongyang, North Korea, on August 14, 2025. Photo: KCNA]
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the country's liberation from Japan, in Pyongyang, North Korea, on August 14, 2025. Photo: KCNA
The report continued quoting Kim Jong-un saying that "the US and South Korea are pushing for South Korea to possess nuclear submarines while increasingly openly showing moves to strengthen and modernize armed forces in the region."
Faced with such developments, North Korea demonstrated a "firm stance" to accelerate efforts to "further expand and strengthen a powerful and fully credible deterrent for self-defense," Kim said at the meeting.
According to KCNA, Kim made the above remarks while presiding over a three-day party plenary meeting that ended on June 22, in which senior officials reviewed policy initiatives.
Regarding the nuclear arsenal, KCNA said the plenary "unanimously recognized" that the country's nuclear status is "the correct and only way to proactively and confidently cope with the unpredictable international military and political situation."
Since the 2019 summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump in Hanoi collapsed due to disagreements over the scope of denuclearization and sanctions relief, Pyongyang has repeatedly declared itself an "irreversible" nuclear state.
Earlier this month, Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, stated that North Korea's nuclear policy is "an irreversible path," reiterating the stance of not abandoning its nuclear arsenal.
On the economic front, the plenary expressed "full support and approval for a comprehensive renovation plan for coal mining areas nationwide." Kim called for "eradicating the centuries-old backwardness still existing in the coal industry."
THIEN AN
