Kim Jong Un vows nuclear expansion amid usa tensions

Kim Jong Un spoke during a presentation of North Korean weapons, which included intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to target the mainland USA.

The North Korean leader has not yet commented on Donald Trump's re-election as President of the USA. Media recall that during Trump’s previous term, he held three meetings with Kim Jong Un. However, relations later deteriorated due to the sanctions imposed on Pyongyang by the Trump administration.

During the speech, Kim commented on these "failed" summits but did not mention Trump by name.

- We have already gone as far as possible with the United States with negotiations, and what we ended up confirming was not a superpower’s will for coexistence, but a thorough position based on force and an unchangeable invasive and hostile policy - said Kim Jong Un.

He accused the United States of increasing military pressure on North Korea by strengthening military cooperation with regional allies and increasing the deployment of "strategic strike means."

He called for accelerating efforts to develop his army's nuclear weapon capabilities, saying that the only guarantee of the country's security is building the "strongest defence power that can overwhelm the enemy."

Kim's nuclear and missile development programme includes various kinds of weapons targeting South Korea and Japan, as well as long-range missiles capable of reaching the mainland USA. Analysts believe that Kim's drive for nuclear development aims to eventually pressure Washington into accepting North Korea as a nuclear power, which would allow Pyongyang a different position in negotiations on issues, including economic matters.

In recent months, Kim's foreign policy priority has been Russia. Pyongyang is trying to bolster its international standing by adopting the idea of a "new cold war."

North Korea also supports Russia in the conflict with Ukraine. Several thousand North Korean soldiers are operating in Russia's Kursk region.