Kim Jong Un calls Pyongyang’s nuclear status irreversible, warns against ‘most hostile’ South Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said his country will firmly maintain its status as a nuclear power, while calling South Korea the “most hostile” state.Speaking at a session of the Supreme People’s Assembly, Kim said his country will firmly maintain its status as a nuclear power and will not reverse course, according to state media reports from Pyongyang on Tuesday. He also described South Korea as the “most hostile” state and signalled that his government would continue with a hard-line approach towards Seoul.“The dignity of the nation, its national interest and its ultimate victory can only be guaranteed by the strongest of power,” Kim said. “The government of our republic will continue to consolidate our absolutely irreversible status as a nuclear power and will aggressively wage a struggle against hostile forces to crush their (anti-North Korean) provocations and schemes,” he added,In the same speech, Kim criticised the United States, accusing it of global “state terrorism and aggression,” in an apparent reference to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Without naming US President Donald Trump, he said, “choose confrontation or peaceful coexistence is up to them, and we are prepared to respond to any choice.”State media said the parliament also passed a revised constitution, although details were not shared. There had been expectations that the changes could formally define South Korea as a permanent enemy and remove references to shared nationhood, in line with Kim’s earlier declaration in 2024 that the North would abandon its long-standing goal of peaceful reunification.Kim’s sharper stance towards South Korea reflects a shift in strategy. Earlier, Seoul had played a role in facilitating talks between Pyongyang and Washington during meetings between Kim and Trump in 2018 and 2019. Now, North Korea appears to view South Korea less as a mediator and more as an obstacle. At the same time, Kim has taken steps to limit the influence of South Korean culture inside the country, tightening internal control.Talks between North Korea and the United States have remained stalled since the collapse of Kim’s second summit with Trump in 2019 over disagreements on sanctions. In recent years, Kim has moved closer to Russia, sending troops and military equipment to support its war in Ukraine, reportedly in exchange for assistance.