Kim Jong Un ordered the North Korean government to prepare for both dialogue and confrontation with the United States, although more for the latter, state media reported Friday, days after the United States and others they urged Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program and return to negotiations.
Kim’s statement indicates that he is likely to try to strengthen his nuclear arsenal and increase pressure on the US to give in to what the North considers to be hostile policy, although it will also prepare to resume contacts, according to some experts.
During an ongoing meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party, Kim on Thursday analyzed in detail the political trends in the United States under the presidency of Joe Biden and clarified the unspecified steps to take in the relationship with his government, reported the Central News Agency. from Korea.
Kim “stressed the need to be prepared for both dialogue and confrontation, especially to fully prepare for confrontation to protect the dignity of our state and its interests for independent development, and to reliably guarantee the peaceful environment and security. of our state ”.
THE SUMMIT WITH TRUMP AND THE COLLAPSE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS
In 2018 and 2019, Kim held a series of summits with then-US President Donald Trump to address advances in his nuclear arsenal. But the negotiations collapsed when Trump rejected Kim’s request for significant sanctions relief in exchange for a partial surrender of his nuclear capability.
The Biden administration has worked to formulate a new approach to the North Korean nuclear program that it describes as “calibrated and practical.” The details of his policy for the secretive nation have not yet been made public, but US officials have suggested that Biden could seek a middle ground between Trump’s direct contacts and Barack Obama’s “strategic patience.”
North Korea called what US President Joe Biden said in response to his recent missile launch as “provocation”, assuring that it has the right to self-defense and warning Washington of possible consequences if these comments persist.
Earlier in the week, G7 leaders called in a statement for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and “the verifiable and irreversible abandonment” of the North’s nuclear and missile programs. In addition, they asked Pyongyang to initiate and resume the dialogue.
Sung Kim, the top US official for North Korea, will visit Seoul on Saturday for a trilateral meeting with South Korean and Japanese officials. His trip underscores the importance of the cooperation of all three sides in working towards the total denuclearization of the peninsula, the State Department said.
Kim has recently threatened to expand his nuclear arsenal and build high-tech weapons aimed at the US mainland if the US refuses to abandon its hostile policy toward his country.