North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for limitless military expansion during a visit to an international ballistic missile exhibition on Thursday.
The dictator criticised past negotiations with the United States, claiming they confirmed Washington's "unchangeable" hostility toward his country. He vowed to continue North Korea’s nuclear build-up.
The defence exhibition showcased some of the regime’s most powerful weapons, including intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US mainland as well as advanced artillery systems and drones.
Kim has yet to comment directly on Donald Trump's re-election as US president but referenced past talks with him during his speech.
During his first term, Trump held three highly summits with the North Korean leader in 2018 and 2019, before the diplomacy collapsed.
"We have already gone as far as possible with the United States with negotiations, and what we ended up confirming was not a superpower's will for coexistence, but a thorough position based on force and an unchangeable invasive and hostile policy" toward North Korea, he said.
He accused the United States of raising military pressure on North Korea by strengthening military cooperation with regional allies and increasing the deployment of "strategic strike means,” an apparent reference to long-range bombers.
He called for accelerated efforts to advance the capabilities of his nuclear-armed military, saying the country's only guarantee of security is to build up the "strongest defence power that can overwhelm the enemy."
In recent months, the focus of Kim's foreign policy has been Russia as he tries to strengthen his international footing, embracing the idea of a "new Cold War" and aligning with President Vladimir Putin's broader conflicts with the West.
Washington and its allies have accused North Korea of providing Russia with thousands of troops and large amounts of military equipment, including artillery systems and missiles, to help sustain its fighting in Ukraine.
The North Korean leader in return could possibly receive badly needed economic aid and Russian technology transfers that would possibly enhance the threat posed by his nuclear-armed military.
North Korea also held a major arms exhibition in July last year and invited a Russian delegation led by then-Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who was given a personal tour by Kim.
That event came weeks before Kim travelled to Russia for a summit with Putin, which sped up military cooperation between the countries.
