North Korea’s Kim says country will exercise its position as nuclear state, KCNA reports​​

Lead

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said exercising the country's position as a nuclear state is the only way to cope with an unpredictable and complicated global security situation, as reported by state news agency KCNA on Tuesday. Speaking at a Central Committee meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, Kim blamed the United States for worsening bloodshed in Europe and the Middle East, and accused Washington and Seoul of upgrading their combined nuclear posture with the sole purpose of attacking North Korea.

Coverage Comparison

This story was covered by Dawn (Pakistan), The Jerusalem Post (Israel), and The Hindu (India), all citing KCNA via Reuters. While the three outlets agree on the core facts—Kim's statement, the accusations against the US and South Korea, and the military orders—their framing differs slightly. Dawn and The Jerusalem Post both quote Kim directly, using phrases like "gangster-like greed" and "hegemonic forces," while The Hindu adopts a more neutral, indirect tone. The Jerusalem Post also included an additional detail about Kim's push to modernize the coal industry, which was not mentioned in the other two reports.

Key Claims

• Kim Jong Un said that "to steadily expand and strengthen the nuclear forces ... and to thoroughly exercise the position of a nuclear weapons state is the most correct and unique way" to deal with the international situation, according to KCNA.
• Kim blamed the United States for worsening bloodshed in Europe and the Middle East, referring to "unimaginable, astonishing incidents and events" caused by "gangster-like" greed of hegemonic forces.
• He accused the US and South Korea of making the Korean Peninsula more dangerous by upgrading their combined nuclear posture, which he said is intended to attack North Korea.
• Kim ordered the buildup of conventional weapons and accelerated construction of a 10,000-ton strategic guided missile cruiser, as reported by KCNA.
• North Korea has defied sanctions imposed by the UN and the US between 2006 and 2017, which ban Pyongyang from developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
• Kim also described a push to modernize the coal industry and redevelop mining communities as a strategic priority, a detail reported only by The Jerusalem Post.

Perspectives

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, commented that Kim's remarks underscore Pyongyang's continued rejection of denuclearisation talks. He noted that North Korea is reaffirming that such talks are off the table and would only engage in negotiations "as a nuclear weapons state on an equal footing," potentially focusing on arms reduction rather than dismantlement.

KCNA did not elaborate on specific actions regarding the country's nuclear arsenal that might be taken, leaving room for interpretation about Pyongyang's next steps.