Kim Vows Military Power, Nuclear Use, Birthday Message to Putin

North Korea's Kim Jong Un Vows to Accelerate Military Power and Nuclear Capabilities

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared his intention to accelerate the country's development into a military superpower with nuclear weapons. He also stated that North Korea would not hesitate to use these weapons if the country came under attack.

Kim made these remarks during a speech at the Kim Jong Un National Defense University, a training ground for elite military specialists. He specifically addressed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, denouncing Seoul's collaboration with Washington and its lack of proper strategic weapons.

"To be honest, we have absolutely no intention of attacking South Korea," Kim said. "Every time I stated our position on the use of military force, I clearly and consistently used the qualification ‘if.’”

However, he emphasized that North Korea's military would not hesitate to use all offensive power, including nuclear weapons, if the country was attacked.

"Our footsteps towards becoming a military superpower and a nuclear power will accelerate," he added.

North Korea has been pursuing a nuclear weapons program for decades and is believed to have enough fissile materials to build dozens of weapons. It has conducted six underground nuclear detonation tests.

Kim's remarks come amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Last week, South Korea marked Armed Forces Day with a large military parade showcasing a ballistic missile capable of carrying a massive warhead and featuring a flypast of a U.S. strategic bomber.

In his address that day, Yoon warned the North against using nuclear weapons, stating that such an action would lead to the "end of the North Korean regime."

The North Korean leader's speech also coincides with the ongoing session of the Supreme People's Assembly, where a constitutional amendment is being discussed. This amendment would likely reflect Kim's statement that unification is no longer possible and that the South is a separate country and "a principal enemy."

Such a move would formally break with the decades-old goal of national unification and attempts to improve ties, including the 2018 summit where the leaders of both countries declared an end to war and the beginning of a new era of peace.

In a separate report, KCNA said Kim sent a birthday message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him his "closest Comrade" and saying that "strategic and cooperative relations" between the two countries will be raised to a new level.