Overview
- Kim delivered a policy speech after his re‑election to the top state post, telling lawmakers the country will not abandon its nuclear status.
- He said North Korea will keep building its nuclear deterrent for self‑defense and maintain nuclear forces at full operational readiness.
- State media reported that Pyongyang rejects any limits from foreign powers or international bodies on both civilian and military nuclear programs.
- He labeled South Korea the most hostile state and warned it would “pay without pity” for any act the North views as harmful.
- He condemned recent U.S. actions as state terrorism, with coverage linking the remark to strikes in the Middle East, and an analyst said those events reinforce a harder line that leaves less space for talks.