For Josh Smith and Soo-hyang Choi
SEOULApr 26 – North Korea will speed up the development of its nuclear arsenal, leader Kim Jong-un said as he oversaw a massive military parade displaying intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMfor its acronym in English) and other weapons, state media reported Tuesday.
The parade took place Monday night during celebrations marking the anniversary of the founding of North Korea’s armed forces, the state news agency said. KCNA.
The unveiling comes at a time when Pyongyang has intensified weapons tests and displays of military might amid stalled denuclearization talks with the United States and an incoming conservative administration in South Korea.
US and South Korean officials say there are signs of new construction at North Korea’s only known nuclear test site, which has been officially closed since 2018, suggesting Pyongyang may be preparing to resume nuclear weapons testing.
“Our Republic’s nuclear forces must be fully prepared to fulfill their responsible mission and launch their unique deterrence at any time,” Kim said at the meeting, according to KCNA.
The core mission of the North’s nuclear forces is war deterrence, but their use “can never be limited to the single mission,” he added.
“If any force tries to violate the fundamental interests of our state, our nuclear forces will have to decisively carry out their unexpected second mission,” Kim said.
Hong Min, a researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, said Kim’s speech could signal a change in his nuclear doctrine to leave open the possibility of “nuclear first use,” after previously limiting its purpose to deterrence and the defense.
“Although it did not specify what the ‘second mission’ or ‘critical interests’ are, it did indicate more broadly that nuclear force could be used preventively, not only when attacked, but also in certain circumstances,” Hong said.
Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said Kim’s remarks may have been directed at the incoming government of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol, who has warned of possible preventive action if a Northern attack was imminent.
–
