North Korean dictator says government will keep cementing nation's 'irreversible status as a nuclear power'

North Korean's Kim Jong Un pledged to solidify his nation's atomic position while keeping a hard-line position regarding South Korea, which he referred to arsenic nan "most hostile" state, authorities media indicated Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.

In a reside Monday to Pyongyang’s rubber-stamp parliament, Kim accused nan United States of world "state coercion and aggression," successful an evident reference to nan warfare successful nan Middle East, and said North Korea will play a much forceful domiciled successful a agreed beforehand against Washington amid rising anti-American sentiment.

The AP reported that nan North Korean charismatic indicated that nan matter of whether opponents "choose confrontation aliases serene coexistence is up to them, and we are prepared to respond to immoderate choice."

KIM JONG UN APPEARS WITH TEENAGE DAUGHTER AT LIVE-FIRE ROCKET TEST IN NORTH KOREA

This image taken connected Feb. 15, 2026 and released by North Korea's charismatic Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) connected Feb. 16, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivering a reside astatine nan inauguration ceremonial of Saeppyol Street successful Pyongyang. (KCNA VIA KNS / AFP via Getty Images)

"The dignity of nan nation, its nationalist liking and its eventual triumph tin only beryllium guaranteed by nan strongest of power," Kim stated, according to nan AP. "The authorities of our republic will proceed to consolidate our perfectly irreversible position arsenic a atomic powerfulness and will aggressively costs a struggle against dispute forces to crush their (anti-North Korean) provocations and schemes."

KIM JONG UN CALLS SOUTH KOREA ‘MOST HOSTILE ENEMY,’ SAYS NORTH COULD ‘COMPLETELY DESTROY’ IT

This image taken connected Feb. 21, 2026 and released by North Korea's charismatic Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS connected Feb. 22, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reporting connected nan reappraisal of nan activity of nan eighth-term Party Central Committee during nan Ninth Congress of nan Workers' Party of Korea successful Pyongyang. (KCNA VIA KNS / AFP via Getty Images)

The 2026 Annual Threat Assessment of nan U.S. Intelligence Community states, "North Korea remains committed to expanding its strategical weapons programs, including missiles and atomic warheads, and to solidifying its deterrent capability." 

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This image taken connected Feb. 2, 2026 and released by North Korea's charismatic Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS connected Feb. 3, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivering a reside astatine nan inauguration of nan Samgwang Stockbreeding Farm successful North Pyongan Province, North Korea.  (KCNA VIA KNS / AFP via Getty Images)

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The U.S. and Israel launched a warfare against Iran much than 3 weeks agone successful a bid to forestall nan Islamic Republic from perchance joining nan ranks of different nations that person nuclear weapons.

The Associated Press contributed to this report