North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared his country’s nuclear status “irreversible” and formally designated South Korea as “the most hostile state,” hardening Pyongyang’s posture as it raises defense spending and deepens ties with Russia.
In a speech Monday to the Supreme People’s Assembly, Kim said North Korea would permanently strengthen its nuclear forces, rejecting any suggestion that disarmament could be exchanged for economic benefits or security guarantees.
“The current world reality, where the dignity and rights of sovereign states are mercilessly violated by unilateral force and violence, clearly teaches what the true guarantee of a state’s existence and peace is,” Kim said, according to state media KCNA.
The ‘Most Hostile State‘
Kim said South Korea had been “recognized as the most hostile state” and warned Seoul that any attempt to infringe on North Korea’s sovereignty would be met “mercilessly without hesitation or restraint.”
The comments are the latest sign of Pyongyang’s hardening stance toward Seoul since Kim dropped decades of policy seeking peaceful reunification and moved to redefine relations with the South as those between two hostile states.
Analysts in South Korea said the language “effectively strips South Korea of any remaining status as a compatriot nation,” according to Lim Eul-chul of Kyungnam University. It goes beyond past rhetoric aimed at isolating Seoul diplomatically, marking instead a “declaration denying South Korea’s very legitimacy as a counterpart,” he said.
The Iran Factor
Kim’s speech came as the U.S. and Israel conducted airstrikes against Iran earlier this month. Analysts in South Korea said Kim’s comments amounted to an indirect critique of U.S. military action.
“These circumstances have reinforced Pyongyang’s long-standing argument that nuclear weapons are essential to deter external intervention and safeguard regime survival,” said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korea Studies.
Kim accused the U.S. and its allies of destabilizing the region by deploying strategic nuclear assets near the Korean peninsula. He said North Korea no longer viewed itself as a country under threat and possessed the power to threaten others if necessary.
The Economic Plan
Alongside security policy, Kim outlined a new five-year development plan focused on modernizing industry, boosting electricity and coal production, increasing food output, and expanding housing construction nationwide.
North Korea remains one of the world’s poorest countries, with a heavily sanctioned economy and chronic shortages that have left much of its population dependent on state rations and informal markets.
The parliamentary session adopted amendments to the constitution and passed legislation endorsing the new five-year economic plan, KCNA said.
Lawmakers also approved a 2026 state budget that raises defense spending to 15.8% of total expenditure, with funding explicitly allocated to expanding nuclear deterrence and war-fighting capabilities.
The Russian Connection
The assembly heard a congratulatory message from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who praised Kim’s leadership and pledged to deepen a comprehensive strategic partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.
The message underscores the deepening alliance between the two nations, which has raised concerns in Washington and Seoul as Russia seeks military supplies for its war in Ukraine and North Korea seeks economic and technological support.
What Comes Next
Kim’s speech formalizes a shift that has been underway for months: the abandonment of reunification as a national goal and the embrace of South Korea as a permanent enemy. The constitutional amendments approved by the assembly are expected to codify this stance, though state media did not elaborate on the changes.
For South Korea, the declaration is a stark reminder that the neighbor across the border no longer considers it a partner. For the U.S., it signals that North Korea’s nuclear program is not negotiable. And for the world, it marks the final collapse of a policy — peaceful reunification — that had guided inter-Korean relations for decades.
Kim’s message was clear: North Korea has nuclear weapons. They are not going anywhere. And anyone who threatens the regime will face consequences, “mercilessly without hesitation or restraint.”
