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North Korea signals openness to US talks on nuclear terms
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has stated that relations with the United States could improve if Washington accepts Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal as permanent. The remarks, delivered during a rare party congress in Pyongyang, mark a shift in tone while maintaining a hardline stance against South Korea.
Kim sets conditions for US-North Korea relations
Kim Jong Un declared that the future of US-North Korea relations hinges entirely on Washington's approach. Speaking at the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, he said the US must respect North Korea's constitutional right to nuclear weapons and abandon its "hostile policy" for any chance of peaceful coexistence.
"If the United States respects our present position as stipulated in the Constitution and withdraws its hostile policy, there is no reason why we cannot get along well with the United States."
Kim Jong Un, via KCNA
He added that North Korea is prepared for either "peaceful coexistence or permanent confrontation," leaving the choice to the US.
South Korea labeled as 'most hostile entity'
In stark contrast to his remarks on the US, Kim Jong Un dismissed any prospect of reconciliation with South Korea. He declared Seoul would be "permanently excluded from the category of compatriots," arguing that its geopolitical position-sharing a border with the North-makes peaceful relations impossible unless South Korea severs all ties.
An analyst told AFP the statement suggests Pyongyang intends to engage with Washington directly, bypassing Seoul as an intermediary.
North Korea vows to expand nuclear arsenal
Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening North Korea's nuclear capabilities, announcing plans to increase the number of warheads and expand operational range. Despite international sanctions, Pyongyang has continued to develop its nuclear program, conducting regular tests of banned intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
State media KCNA claimed the country has "radically improved" its "war deterrence" under Kim's leadership, with nuclear forces as the cornerstone of its defense strategy. However, the regime's secrecy makes it difficult to verify the extent of its military advancements.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimated last year that North Korea possesses around 50 assembled nuclear warheads and enough fissile material to produce up to 40 more.
Denuclearization off the table, Kim insists
Kim Jong Un has repeatedly dismissed the possibility of denuclearization, calling it an "absurd pursuit" by the US. In September, he declared that the concept had "already lost its meaning," asserting that North Korea is now a nuclear state.
"If the United States, freeing itself from its absurd pursuit of others' denuclearization and recognizing the reality, wants genuine peaceful coexistence with us, there is no reason for us not to come face to face with it."
Kim Jong Un, September 2025
The shift in rhetoric aligns with a notable omission in US President Donald Trump's latest global security roadmap, which did not mention North Korean denuclearization-a departure from previous administrations' strategies.
Kim's daughter appears as potential successor
Images from the party congress showed Kim Jong Un's teenage daughter, Ju Ae, standing beside him in a matching black leather jacket during a military parade. South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) told lawmakers earlier this month that Kim had selected the 13-year-old as his heir, though Pyongyang has not confirmed the claim.
The NIS stated it would monitor whether Ju Ae attended the congress, which concluded this week.
