Seoul (South Korea) : North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un has said the country will not use a nuclear weapon unless its sovereignty is encroached by other others with nuclear arms.
“As a responsible nuclear weapons state, our republic will not use a nuclear weapon unless its sovereignty is encroached upon by any aggressive hostile forces with nukes,” the KCNA quoted Kim as saying, reports the Guardian.
Kim, who was speaking to the Congress of its ruling Workers’ party (WPK), asserted that Pyongyang would faithfully fulfill its obligation for nuclear non-proliferation and strive to end nuclear buildup in the world.
“And it will faithfully fulfill its obligation for non-proliferation and strive for the global denuclearization,” he added.
“The WPK and the DPRK government will improve and normalise the relations with those countries which respect the sovereignty of the DPRK and are friendly towards it, though they had been hostile toward it in the past,” the KCNA said in its statement.
Like the similar proposal made in the past, the supreme leader also called for improved ties with the rival south by erasing misunderstanding and mistrust.|
Apart from announcing a five-year plan starting this year to develop Pyongyang’s dismal economy, Kim also pressed on improving the country’s power supply and increasing its agricultural and light-manufacturing production.
North Korea carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, which if true, marks significant advance in the country’s nuclear capabilities.
Following the test, the country apart from worldwide condemnation received tougher UN sanctions but Pyongyang remained undeterred.
Several rocket and submarine-based missile tests were done after that. Following the annual US-South Korean military drills in March and April, it responded to the punitive measures by firing a series of missiles and artillery into the sea.
Taking a hard-line approach towards its neighbour, South Korea shut down a jointly-run factory park in a North Korean border town that had been the last remaining symbol of cooperation between the rivals.
After spending past months resisting talks with Seoul and instead threatening attacks against it and the US, Kim spoke with a different tone at the conference this time.
He said that “fundamentally improving” inter-Korean relations was an urgent matter for his government. He also called on Seoul to “hold hands” with Pyongyang as a “companion” for unification.
He, however, stressed that Seoul must first employ practical measures to improve ties.
Kim also warned the United States to no longer be involved with matters in the Korean peninsula and added that the country was ready to mercilessly punish the aggressors if enemy forces ignite the fire of war. (ANI)