Kim Jong-un at the end of his closing speech at the Workers' Party Congress in Pyongyang on January 12, 2021. -
/ AP / SIPA
The North Korean leader is not giving up on his guns.
Kim Jong-un pledged to bolster North Korea's nuclear arsenal in his ruling party convention closing speech, KCNA news agency reported on Wednesday.
“We must do everything to build the most powerful military apparatus,” he said.
The United States as "the main enemy"
During this Congress of the Workers' Party which lasted eight days, twice as long as the previous one in 2016, Kim Jong-un also severely criticized the Americans, a few days before the inauguration of Democratic President Joe Biden.
The United States is, according to him, "the fundamental obstacle to the development of our revolution and our main enemy".
"The true intention of their policy towards the DPRK will never change, no matter who comes to power," he said, using the acronym for the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
He did not mention Joe Biden's name, however.
Kim Jong-un also said that North Korea had made plans to build a nuclear submarine - a development that would be strategically game-changing.
And he cited a long list of strategic weapons including hypersonic nuclear warheads, military reconnaissance satellites and solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles.
North Korean military programs have progressed rapidly since Kim Jong-un took office.
North Korea carried out its most powerful nuclear test during this period and it acquired missiles capable of reaching the entire continental United States.
The continuation of these developments prohibited by several resolutions of the United Nations Security Council has led to a strengthening of international sanctions against Pyongyang.
World
Kim Jong-un strengthens his power by becoming general secretary of the Workers' Party
World
The United States, North Korea's "greatest enemy", assures Kim Jong-un
Video
Nuclear
World
North Korea
Kim jong-un