SEOUL, South Korea (AP) 鈥� North Korean leader Kim Jong Un renewed his call for a 鈥渓imitless鈥� expansion of his military nuclear program to counter U.S.-led threats in comments reported Monday that were his first direct criticism toward Washington
At a conference with army officials on Friday, Kim condemned the United States for updating its nuclear deterrence strategies with South Korea and solidifying three-way military cooperation involving Japan, which he portrayed as an 鈥淎sian NATO鈥� that was escalating tensions and instability in the region.
Kim also criticized the against a prolonged Russian invasion. He insisted that Washington and its Western allies were using Ukraine as their 鈥渟hock troops鈥� to wage a war against Moscow and expand the scope of U.S. military influence, the North鈥檚 official Korean Central 撸奶社区 Agency said.
Kim has prioritized his country鈥檚 ties to Russia in recent months, embracing the idea of a 鈥渘ew Cold War鈥� and displaying a united front in Russian President Vladimir Putin鈥檚 broader conflicts with the West.
He has used Russia鈥檚 war on Ukraine as a distraction to accelerate the development of his nuclear-armed military, which now has various nuclear-capable systems targeting South Korea and .
Kim has yet to directly acknowledge that to support its war against Ukraine and the KCNA鈥檚 report didn鈥檛 mention whether Kim made any comments toward Trump, whose election win has yet to be reported in the North鈥檚 state media.
Kim met Trump three times in 2018 and 2019 in Trump鈥檚 first presidency, but their diplomacy quickly collapsed over disagreements in exchanging the release of U.S.-led sanctions and North Korean steps to wind down its nuclear and missile program. North Korea has since suspended any meaningful talks with Washington and Seoul as Kim ramped up his testing activity and in the face of what he portrayed as 鈥済angster-like U.S. threats.鈥� There鈥檚 concern in Seoul that Kim in exchange for his military support of Russia would receive Russian technology in return to further develop his arsenal.
Trump鈥檚 election win has touched off speculation about a resumption of a summit-driven diplomacy with Kim, which was described by critics as a 鈥渂romance.鈥� But some experts say a quick return to 2018 is highly unlikely, as too much has changed about the regional security situation and broader geopolitics since then.
While the North Korean nuclear problem was relatively an independent issue during Trump鈥檚 first term, it is now connected with broader challenges created by Russia鈥檚 war on Ukraine and further complicated by weakened sanctions enforcement against Pyongyang, Hwang Ildo, a professor at South Korea鈥檚 National Diplomatic Academy, wrote in a study last week.
North Korea鈥檚 nuclear and missile program is now much more advanced, which would increase Kim鈥檚 perception of his bargaining powers. Kim鈥檚 efforts to boost North Korea鈥檚 presence in a united front against Washington could also gain strength if Trump spikes tariffs and rekindles a trade war with China, the North鈥檚 main ally and economic lifeline, Hwang said.
Amid the stalemate in larger nuclear negotiations with Washington, Kim has been dialing up pressure on South Korea, abandoning his country鈥檚 long-standing goal of inter-Korean reconciliation and verbally threatening to attack the South with nukes if provoked.
Kim has also engaged in psychological and electronic warfare against South Korea, such as in the South and from border areas near the South鈥檚 biggest airport.
South Korea鈥檚 Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea again flew trash-laden balloons toward the South early Monday and issued a statement warning the North 鈥渘ot to test our military鈥檚 patience any further.鈥� The North has launched about 7,000 balloons toward the South since May, causing property damage but so far no injuries. On at least two occasions, trash carried by North Korea鈥檚 balloons fell on Seoul鈥檚 presidential compound, raising concerns about the vulnerability of key sites.
Kim Tong-hyung, The Associated Press
