Pyongyang’s nuclear program is a self-defensive measure to preempt a nuclear war in light of the United States’ pursuit of “nuclear supremacy,” North Korean media KCNA said on Tuesday.
Kim Kwang Myong, a researcher at the Foreign Ministry’s Institute for Disarmament and Peace, criticized the United States for exacerbating regional tensions through its nuclear program which will lead to undermining global peace.
“The US, the world’s biggest nuclear weapons state and the world’s first nuclear user which adopted the preemptive nuclear attack on other countries as its national policy, is talking about a ‘nuclear threat’ from someone. This is a sophism,” Kim said.
Kim highlighted the recent recommendations made by the US Strategic Posture Commission to bolster Washington’s nuclear weapons modernization program in anticipation of potential simultaneous conflicts with Russia and China, characterizing it as an “extremely risky” sign and a “hegemonic move.”
Kim added that Washington was seeking to improve its preemptive nuclear strike capability against North Korea by building a missile defense system, while sending strategic assets to the region and “ultra-modern military hardware” to its allies.
“The reality urgently requires the DPRK, which is standing in confrontation with the US imperialism, the most aggressive nuclear war criminal force, to bolster up its self-defensive military capabilities for deterring a nuclear war,” Kim said.
Kim Tong Myong, a researcher at the Society for International Politics Study, also expressed strong disapproval at NATO’s yearly nuclear drills, called as “Steadfast Noon,” which kicked off on Monday to practice the use of US bombs based in Europe.
“The reality goes to prove once again that the dark clouds of a dreadful thermonuclear war can never be wiped out as long as the US, a heinous nuclear war killer which regards nukes as the key for its hegemonic foreign policy, exists,” Kim said.
He emphasized that although it’s undeniable that the United States is persistently engaging in nuclear threats and blackmail against anti-imperialist independent nations, it is transferring nuclear technology to its compliant followers.
He called on the international community to collectively recognize the aggressive nature of the actions taken by the United States and NATO forces in their reckless pursuit of thermonuclear warfare.
Last month, North Korea amended its constitution to update its nuclear doctrine and boost its nuclear power status, maintaining a strong military as a deterrence force.