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Kim Jong Un vows to bolster nuke capability during parade

He made the remarks in a speech he delivered during a military parade that featured a long-range missile and other weapons.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to bolster his nuclear forces at “maximum speed” and threatened to use them if provoked.

He made the remarks in a speech he delivered during a military parade that featured a long-range missile and other weapons, state media reported on Tuesday.

The parade on Monday night was to mark the 90th anniversary of North Korea’s army — the backbone of the Kim family’s authoritarian rule — and comes as the country faces pandemic-related difficulties while seeking relief from US-led sanctions imposed over its nuclear ambitions.

“We will continue to implement measures aimed at strengthening and developing our country’s nuclear forces at the maximum speed,” he told his troops and the crowd gathered for the parade at a Pyongyang plaza, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

This undated photo provided Sunday, April 17, 2022, by the North Korean government shows its leader Kim Jong Un at an undisclosed location in North Korea. It said Sunday the country has successfully test-launched a newly developed tactical guided weapon. The official Korean Central News Agency said Kim observed the launch. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: “KCNA” which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency.
The parade on Monday night was to mark the 90th anniversary of North Korea’s army (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

“If any forces, regardless of who they are, try to infringe upon our fundamental interests, our nuclear forces will have no choice but to absolutely carry out its unexpected second mission.”

The parade featured marching troops and an array of modern weapons including a missile potentially capable of reaching the US homeland as well as tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery pieces and multiple rocket launchers, according to KCNA.

Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled since 2019 because of disagreements over the potential easing of US-led sanctions in exchange for North Korean disarmament steps.

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, a parade is held to celebrate the 110th birth anniversary of its late founder Kim Il Sung, at the Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea Friday, April 15, 2022. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: “KCNA” which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency.
The parade featured marching troops and an array of modern weapons including a missile potentially capable of reaching the US homeland (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

North Korea has conducted 13 rounds of weapons tests this year, including its first flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017. There are also signs North Korea is rebuilding tunnels at a nuclear testing ground that was last active in 2017, possibly in preparation for exploding a nuclear device.

On Monday, official newspapers in North Korea ran editorials calling for stronger public support for the leader.

“The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un is the symbol of the mightiness of our party, state and revolutionary armed forces and the representative of their great dignity,” the main Rodong Sinmun newspaper said. “All happiness and rosy future lie in following the respected General Secretary Kim Jong Un.”

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