Kim Vows Military Buildup Over US Nuclear Submarine
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- Kim Jong Un vowed to accelerate North Korea's military buildup at a three-day party plenary meeting that wrapped up Monday, with state media KCNA reporting the remarks on Tuesday (Jun 23).
- Kim specifically cited the US and South Korea (ROK) pushing forward with South Korea's possession of a nuclear submarine and broader military modernization in the region as justification for the buildup.
- The plenary meeting "unanimously recognised" that North Korea's nuclear status was "the most correct and unique way" to cope with what Kim called the "unpredictable international military and political situation."
- Pyongyang declared itself an "irreversible" nuclear state since the 2019 Hanoi summit between Kim and Trump collapsed over denuclearization scope and sanctions relief; North Korea remains under multiple sets of UN sanctions over its nuclear programme.
- Kim's sister Yo Jong said earlier this month that North Korea's nuclear policy was a "line of no retreat," reiterating the regime has no intention of giving up its arsenal.
- On the economic front, the plenary approved a plan to completely renovate coal-mining areas nationwide, with Kim calling for eliminating "centuries-old backwardness remaining in the coal industry."
Why it matters: Kim's pledge to accelerate the buildup comes directly in response to US-South Korea moves toward arming Seoul with a nuclear submarine, escalating a regional arms race with no off-ramp. The plenary's unanimous reaffirmation of an "irreversible" nuclear posture, echoed by Yo Jong's "line of no retreat" framing, forecloses near-term denuclearization talks and leaves the multilateral sanctions regime as the principal remaining lever.
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