Published on 6/23/2026
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to accelerate the strengthening of his country’s military capabilities, stressing that Pyongyang’s position is firm in expanding an “autonomous, strong and completely reliable” defensive deterrent capability, in light of what he described as increasing efforts by South Korea and the United States to modernize their military capabilities in the region.
The official North Korean Central News Agency quoted Kim as saying – during a meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party – that “the firm political position of our party and our country is to accelerate the pace of strengthening the country’s defense capabilities.”
Kim’s statements came at the end of a three-day meeting of the Workers’ Party that ended on Monday, according to the agency.
Kim said that the United States and South Korea “increasingly and publicly intensified their efforts to expand and modernize military capabilities in the region,” noting that Seoul is seeking to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.
The North Korean leader stressed that Pyongyang’s position is “steadfast and unwavering”, which is to accelerate efforts to expand and strengthen a “strong and completely reliable” self-defense deterrent force.
Regarding the nuclear arsenal, the Central News Agency reported that the party agreed that “the country’s nuclear forces and the exercise of its full status as a nuclear state constitute the best and only way” to confront geopolitical challenges.
Since the collapse of the Hanoi summit in 2019 between Kim and US President Donald Trump due to disagreement over the scope of denuclearization and easing sanctions, Pyongyang has asserted that it is an “irreversible” nuclear state and that it will not give up its arsenal.
The two Koreas are still technically in a state of war, because the conflict that took place between them between 1950 and 1953 ended with a truce, not a peace treaty, while Pyongyang is subject to multiple sanctions because of its nuclear program.
