North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claimed his nucleararmed country could “completely destroy” South Korea if its security were threatened, reiterating his refusal to engage with Seoul, state media said Thursday. However, he left the door open to dialogue with Washington as he concluded a ruling party congress outlining his policy goals for the next five years.
Kim in recent years has sharpened his rhetoric toward Seoul and underscored his rejection of inter-Korean diplomacy. Experts say that most likely doesn’t presage military clashes, but is intended to advance a broader effort to assert a more forceful regional role backed by Kim’s nuclear arsenal and ties with Moscow and Beijing.
The official Korean Central News Agency said that Kim also called for developing new weapons systems to bolster his nuclear-armed military, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that could be launched from underwater and an expanded arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons, such as artillery and short-range missiles, targeting South Korea.
The Workers’ Party congress, which ended its sevenday run on Wednesday in Pyongyang, is North Korea’s most significant political event and a carefully choreographed spectacle glorifying Kim’s leadership before thousands of delegates.
Kim capped the meetings with a nighttime military parade in the capital, sharing center stage with his increasingly prominent daughter — believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and about 13.
Wearing matching leather coats, the two chatted constantly, pointing at parade formations and singing along with performers. The girl watched as her father and senior military officials saluted fighter jets flying over the brightly illuminated Kim Il Sung Square, named after Kim Jong Un’s statefounding grandfather.
State media reports and visuals indicated that the parade omitted Kim’s largest weapons, including ICBMs potentially capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, fueling speculation that he was seeking to avoid antagonizing Washington ahead of possible dialogue.