North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un says the country will “exercise its position as a nuclear state,” according to a report by the state news agency KCNA. In the remarks, Kim claims “unimaginable” and “astonishing” incidents and events are occurring worldwide because of what he describes as the greed of “hegemonic forces,” which he says is making confrontations more violent.
Kim also accuses the United States and South Korea of increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula by steadily upgrading their combined nuclear posture. The comments are presented alongside references to North Korea’s continued nuclear and missile ambitions despite international pressure. One outlet notes North Korea’s defiance of sanctions imposed through UN measures, including rules that bar Pyongyang from developing nuclear weapons and missile systems, while the other sources focus on Kim’s stated rationale and criticisms of U.S. and South Korean policies.
Overall, the reports describe new North Korean messaging on nuclear status and deterrence, framed as a response to perceived external threats and allied nuclear developments.
