North Korea's Kim vows to make his nuclear force ready for combat with US

North Korea’s Kim vows to make his nuclear force ready for combat with US

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In a national day speech marking the 76th founding anniversary for his government, Kim Jong Un said North Korea faces “a grave threat” because of what he called “the reckless expansion” of a U.S.-led regional military bloc that is now developing into a nuclear-based one.

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Thousands of North Koreans have marked the eve of the country’s 76th anniversary in Pyongyang. Footage filmed by state media on Sunday - and reported on Monday - showed some of them marching with giant North Korean flags across Kim Il Sung square as fireworks burst into the skies over the capital.

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In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech, marking the country’s 76th founding anniversary in Pyongyang, North Korea Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

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In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech, marking the country’s 76th founding anniversary in Pyongyang, North Korea Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: “KCNA” which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

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North Koreans celebrate the country’s 76th founding anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)

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North Koreans celebrate the country’s 76th founding anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)

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North Koreans march with their nationa flag as they celebrate the country’s 76th founding anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)

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Pyongyang citizens pay respect to the statues of their late leaders Kim Il Sung, left, and Kim Jong Il on Mansu Hill on the occasion of the country’s 76th founding anniversary in Pyongyang, North Korea Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Cha Song Ho)

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Pyongyang citizens pay respect to the statues of their late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il on Mansu Hill on the occasion of the country’s 76th founding anniversary in Pyongyang, North Korea Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)

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North Koreans celebrate the country’s 76th founding anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Cha Song Ho)

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North Korean dance during an evening gala as they celebrate the country’s 76th founding anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)

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North Koreans celebrate the country’s 76th founding anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)

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A national flag is hoisted during a celebration ceremony of the country’s 76th founding anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)

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North Koreans perform during an evening gala as they celebrate the country’s 76th founding anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)

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North Korean youth and students perform during an evening gala as they celebrate the country’s 76th founding anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)

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North Korean dance during an evening gala as they celebrate the country’s 76th founding anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Cha Song Ho)

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM TONG-HYUNG

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to redouble efforts to make his nuclear force fully ready for combat with the United States and its allies, state media reported Tuesday, after the country disclosed a new platform likely designed to fire more powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles targeting the mainland U.S.

Kim has repeatedly made similar pledges, but his latest threat comes as outside experts believe Kim will perform provocative weapons tests ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November. In recent days, North Korea has also resumed launches of trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea.

In a speech marking the 76th founding anniversary for his government on Monday, Kim said North Korea faces “a grave threat” because of what he called “the reckless expansion” of a U.S.-led regional military bloc that is now developing into a nuclear-based one. Kim said such a development is pushing North Korea to boost its military capability, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

Kim said North Korea will “redouble its measures and efforts to make all the armed forces of the state including the nuclear force fully ready for combat,” KCNA said.

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North Korea has been protesting the July signing of a new U.S.-South Korean defense guideline meant to integrate U.S. nuclear weapons and South Korean conventional weapons to cope with growing North Korean nuclear threats. North Korea said the guideline revealed its adversaries’ plots to invade the country. U.S. and South Korean officials have repeatedly said they don’t intend to attack the country.

Since 2022, North Korea has significantly accelerated its weapons testing activities in a bid to perfect its capabilities to launch strikes on the U.S. and South Korea. The U.S. and South Korea have responded by expanding military drills that North Korea calls invasion rehearsals.

Many analysts believe North Korea has some last remaining technological barriers to overcome to acquire long-range nuclear missiles that can reach the U.S. mainland, though it likely already possesses missiles that can hit key targets in South Korea and Japan.

South Korean officials and experts say North Korea could conduct nuclear tests or ICBM test-launches before the U.S. election to increase its leverage in future diplomacy with the U.S. Observers say North Korea likely thinks a greater nuclear capability would help it win U.S. concessions like sanctions relief.

North Korea as of Tuesday morning did not appear to have staged any major military demonstration to mark this year’s anniversary. But the North’s main Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Sunday published a photo of Kim inspecting what appeared to be a 12-axle missile launch vehicle, which would be the largest the country has shown so far, during a visit to a munitions plant. This sparked speculation that the North could be developing a new ICBM that is bigger than its current Hwasong-17 ICBM, which is launched on an 11-axle vehicle.

When asked about the photo on Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder refused to provide a specific assessment of North Korea’s missile capabilities and reiterated that Washington was working closely with Seoul, Tokyo and other partners to preserve regional security and deter potential attacks.

“It’s not unusual for North Korea to use media reports and imagery to try to telegraph, you know, to the world,” he said.

North Korea flew hundreds of huge balloons carrying rubbish toward South Korea for five straight days through Sunday, extending a Cold War-style psychological warfare campaign that has further stoked animosities on the Korean Peninsula. The balloons largely contained waste papers and vinyl, and there has been no repots of major damage.

North Korea began its balloon campaign in late May, calling it a response to South Korean civilians flying propaganda leaflets across the border via their own balloons. South Korea later restarted its anti-Pyongyang propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts along the rivals’ tense land border.

Observers say North Korea is extremely sensitive to South Korean leafleting activities and loudspeaker broadcasts as they could hamper its efforts to ban foreign news to its 26 million people.

HYUNG-JIN KIM

Hyung-jin is an Associated Press reporter in Seoul, South Korea. He reports on security, political and other general news on the Korean Peninsula.

KIM TONG-HYUNG

Kim has been covering the Koreas for the AP since 2014. He has published widely read stories on North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, the dark side of South Korea’s economic rise and international adoptions of Korean children.