- The dictator promised to launch additional military spy satellites and attack drones
Kim Jong Un welcomed the new year in North Korea with another tirade against the US and vowed to step up nuclear weapons tests in 2024.
During his ramble, Kim announced plans to launch three additional military spy satellites, produce more nuclear material and introduce attack drones.
He called on his country to have an “overwhelming” war readiness to face US-led confrontational moves, state media reported.
Kim said the “viscous” anti-North Korean actions of the US and its allies have “reached extremes unprecedented in history,” pushing the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war, the Korean official said Central News Agency.
Experts believe that if Kim decides to increase his nuclear capability, it could give him another chance at high-stakes diplomacy with the U.S. to gain sanctions relief if the former president Donald Trump returns to the White House.
Kim Jong Un (pictured during 2024 New Year celebrations) pledged to launch three additional military spy satellites, produce more nuclear material and introduce attack drones
The big performance at the May Day Stadium as Kim Jong Un celebrated 2024 with a huge crowd
North Korean army during the New Year's performance at the May Day Stadium
In his speech, the dictator mentioned the expansion of US-South Korean military exercises and the temporary deployment of US military assets such as bombers and nuclear-armed submarines near South Korea.
Kim has focused on modernizing his nuclear arsenal since his diplomacy with Trump collapsed in 2019 over arguments over how many sanctions the North could face for a partial surrender of its nuclear program.
Experts say Kim likely believes that Trump, if elected for a second term, could make concessions as the US frets over the war between Russia and Ukraine and the fighting between Israel and Hamas.
Nam Sung-wook, a professor at Korea University in South Korea, said if President Joe Biden is re-elected, North Korea will not get what it wants.
But he predicted that a Trump victory could revive diplomacy, and said Trump is likely to say during his campaign that he can convince North Korea to suspend intimidating weapons tests.
He said Kim's pledge to increase production of plutonium and uranium is aimed at strengthening his negotiating cards. Nam said North Korea will also test more intercontinental ballistic missiles this year that can reach the continental US.
“North Korea will act as much as possible according to its provocation timetable until Election Day in the US,” Nam said.