Pyongyang has officially enshrined its policy of developing strategic deterrence as a “basic law of the state,” according to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. In a speech to the country’s Supreme People’s Assembly, Kim stated that the nuclear force-building policy has become a constitutionally mandated linchpin of North Korea’s security. The speech was posted by state-run media outlet KCNA.
The new constitutional provision ensures that Pyongyang will rapidly develop nuclear weapons to a higher level in order to deter war and protect regional and global peace. Kim referred to this development as a historic event that strengthens national defense capabilities and guarantees security and protection of national interests.
This unanimous legislative adoption of the constitutional amendment comes just one year after the codification of Kim’s nuclear weapons policy as “irreversible,” which included approval for preemptive use of such arms. Despite appeals by South Korea and the US to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, North Korea has rejected these offers. Earlier this year, Kim vowed to exponentially increase the production of warheads and has ramped up missile tests amid escalating tensions with Washington and Seoul.
Kim also criticized the military alliance between the US, South Korea, and Japan, referring to it as the “Asian-version NATO” and the root cause of war and aggression. He argued that this alliance poses the worst actual threat and must be countered by accelerating the modernization of North Korea’s nuclear weapons to maintain strategic deterrence.
According to Kim, relying on the “nuclear umbrella” of other countries would have exposed North Korea to blackmail from the US and resulted in a nuclear holocaust and total destruction long ago. Therefore, by arming itself and developing its nuclear program, North Korea has achieved a proud reality in which its nuclear capabilities enhance national prestige and might while steering the world towards justice.
Furthermore, Kim called for promoting solidarity with nations that stand against the US and the West’s strategy for hegemony. Earlier this month, he traveled to Vladivostok for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on military cooperation between their countries. Though no agreements were signed during the visit, it demonstrated North Korea’s efforts to forge alliances and strengthen its position on the global stage.
The decision to formally establish the nuclear force-building policy as a basic law of the state demonstrates North Korea’s unwavering commitment to developing its nuclear capabilities. Despite international pressure and condemnation, the country remains steadfast in its pursuit of a robust nuclear program as a means of ensuring its security and sovereignty.
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