North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Orders Rapid Naval Expansion, Warns US

By Staff, Agencies

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for a rapid expansion of the country’s naval combat capabilities to counter what he described as hostile actions by adversaries, as Pyongyang warned Washington that it would respond more forcefully to continued US pressure and hostility.

Kim made the remarks during a visit to the Nampho shipyard on Monday, where he received a briefing on ongoing modernization projects and inspected a newly constructed warship, the state-run Korean Central News Agency [KCNA] reported on Wednesday.

“It is vital and important requirement of the times to rapidly bolster up the surface and underwater combat power for defending the national sovereignty in the sea under various threats,” Kim said.

He added that the prevailing geopolitical situation and what he described as hostile actions by adversaries in the region underscored the necessity of developing “the most developed and powerful warship.”

Although North Korean media did not disclose the vessel’s technical specifications, it described the warship as being designed to carry out complex operational missions in accordance with the requirements of modern warfare.

Meanwhile, Kim’s influential sister, Kim Yo-jong, said on Wednesday that dialogue with Washington remained a possible avenue for peace but was not necessarily in North Korea’s national interest under the current circumstances.

She argued that Washington’s continued hostile signals were forcing Pyongyang to reassess the true intentions and nature of US policy toward the country.

“The choice for peace includes dialogue of course, but this is not surely equated with national interests for us,” Kim Yo-jong said in a statement.

Her comments came a day after she rejected findings by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) accusing North Korea of involvement in the theft of more than $6 billion in cryptocurrency from Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.

Describing the allegations as part of Washington’s broader policy toward Pyongyang, she said the so-called “cryptocurrency hacking case by the DPRK” was merely a glimpse of what she characterized as the essence of US hostility toward North Korea.

DPRK is the abbreviation for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the country’s official name.

Kim Yo-jong further maintained that Washington’s abandonment of its hostile policy was a fundamental requirement for resolving outstanding issues between the two countries.

“The US abandonment of its hostile policy” toward Pyongyang “is a major premise and key to solving all problems,” she said, adding that North Korea had no reason to engage in negotiations with Washington unless such a change took place.

She also warned that Pyongyang would take a stronger response to what it considers continued American hostility, reiterating the country’s position that meaningful dialogue cannot proceed without a fundamental shift in US policy.