Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for the armed forces to develop into an “invincible” entity during a military parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, state media reported Saturday. In his speech, Kim emphasized the importance of enhancing the nation’s defense capabilities without issuing threats against South Korea or the United States.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim highlighted that North Korea’s sovereignty can only be protected through strength, as reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Kim stated, “Our army should continue to grow into an invincible entity that destroys all threats approaching our range of self-defense by dint of its political, ideological, military and technical superiority overwhelming the enemy, and it should steadily strengthen itself into elite armed forces which win victory after victory on the strength of morality and discipline.”
Kim also reiterated North Korea’s intention to oppose “injustice and hegemony,” likely alluding to the United States, while refraining from making direct threats towards Washington or Seoul. His speech follows North Korea’s previous statements expressing a willingness to engage in talks with the U.S., contingent upon the removal of demands for the North’s denuclearization.