North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has denounced the growing security cooperation between the United States, South Korea, and Japan, calling it a grave threat to his country's sovereignty and pledging to strengthen North Korea's nuclear weapons program, state media reported Sunday.
Kim's comments, made during a speech marking the 77th anniversary of the Korean People's Army, reaffirm Pyongyang's long-standing opposition to U.S. military presence in the region. His remarks also suggest that he is unlikely to accept President Donald Trump's overtures to restart diplomatic negotiations, despite Trump's repeated public assertions that he "got along well" with the North Korean leader during his first term.
Kim Accuses U.S. of Destabilizing the Korean Peninsula
Kim criticized the trilateral U.S.-Japan-South Korea partnership as a Washington-led initiative to create a NATO-like military bloc in the region. "The U.S.-Japan-South Korea trilateral security partnership is inviting military imbalance on the Korean Peninsula and raising a grave challenge to the security environment of our state," Kim said, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
He reiterated North Korea's commitment to expanding its nuclear forces, calling it an "unshakable policy." In recent years, North Korea has significantly advanced its nuclear and missile programs while rejecting disarmament talks.
In response to North Korea's weapons development, the U.S. and South Korea have expanded joint military drills, often incorporating Japan. North Korea has condemned these exercises as rehearsals for an invasion and has increased its missile tests in defiance.
Trump Signals Interest in Renewing Talks With Kim
Trump, who met with Kim three times between 2018 and 2019 in an effort to negotiate North Korea's denuclearization, has indicated a willingness to reengage. Speaking at a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday, Trump stated, "We will have relations with North Korea, with Kim Jong Un. I got along with him very well, as you know. I think I stopped the war."
During a Fox News interview on January 23, Trump called Kim "a smart guy" and confirmed his intention to reach out again, saying, "I will, yeah."
However, North Korea has not directly responded to Trump's latest overtures. Analysts suggest that Kim may be more focused on strengthening ties with Russia, having reportedly sent thousands of troops and weapons to aid Moscow's war effort in Ukraine.
Kim Defends Russia, Blames U.S. for Prolonging Ukraine War
In his speech Saturday, Kim also accused the United States and its allies of deliberately extending the war in Ukraine, calling Washington "the wrecker of global peace and stability." He reaffirmed North Korea's alliance with Russia, stating, "Our army and people will invariably support and encourage the just cause of the Russian army."
According to South Korean and Western intelligence estimates, North Korea has dispatched as many as 11,000 troops and supplied munitions to Russian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that North Korean soldiers had been deployed to Russia's Kursk region, where Moscow has been trying to gain control of Ukrainian-held territory.
Zelensky added that recent clashes had resulted in "hundreds" of Russian and North Korean fighters being "eliminated," though neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has publicly acknowledged North Korea's military involvement.
Since returning to office, Trump has vowed to end the war in Ukraine "within 24 hours" but has yet to achieve a breakthrough. Over the weekend, Trump told the New York Post that he had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and was preparing to meet with Zelensky "in the coming days."
