Kim Jong Un vows to build ‘invincible’ military amid US suspicions

SEOUL, Oct 12, 2021, Forces.net. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accused the United States of creating tensions and a lack of action to prove it has no hostile intent towards his country. State media reported that Mr Kim vowed to build an “invincible” military, stating his drive to build up North Korea’s defence is not targeted at South Korea and that there should not be another war pitting Korean people against each other, Forces.net reported.

“The US has frequently signalled it’s not hostile to our state, but there is no action-based evidence to make us believe that they are not hostile,” Mr Kim said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

“The US is continuing to create tensions in the region with its wrong judgments and actions,” the North Korean leader added.

Calling the United States a “source” of instability on the Korean Peninsula, Mr Kim said his country’s most important objective was possessing an “invincible military capability” that no-one can dare challenge.

He also accused South Korea of hypocrisy over its criticism of North Korea’s weapons development, while spending heavily to increase its own military capabilities.

He still said his military did not target South Korea, however.

“I say once again that South Korea isn’t the one that our military forces have to fight against,” Mr Kim said.

“Surely, we aren’t strengthening our defence capability because of South Korea. We shouldn’t repeat a horrible history of compatriots using force against each other.”

Last month, North Korea performed its first missile tests in six months, including nuclear-capable weapons they claim could reach targets in South Korea and Japan, including US military bases there.

But North Korea also said it is open to talks with South Korea if conditions are met.

Some experts say North Korea is attempting to use South Korea’s desire to improve ties to pressure it to convince the United States to relax punishing economic sanctions on the North and make other concessions.