North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un said his country is ready to complete its nuclear program — bringing it near its goal of “equilibrium” with the United States’ military.
The comments, carried by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency, come days after the country fired a missile from its capital city Pyongyang.
According to U.S. and South Korean militaries, the missile traveled 2,300 miles as it passed over the Japanese island of Hokkaido before landing in the northern Pacific Ocean. The model was an intermediate range Hwasong-12, which was also launched by North Korea over Japan on Aug. 29.
The missile tests have tensions on edge, as the United Nations Security Council condemned Friday’s launch as “highly provocative.”
Earlier this week, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved new sanctions against North Korea, even though the Trump administration called for stronger sanctions following last week’s detonation of North Korea’s sixth and most powerful nuclear device.
According to KCNA, Kim was very happy with the launch, saying it confirmed the missile’s “combat effeciency and reliability.”
The report also quoted the regime’s leader as vowing to complete his country’s nuclear program despite continuing international sanctions.
“As recognized by the whole world, we have made all these achievements despite the U.N. sanctions that have lasted for decades,” KCNA quoted Kim as saying, adding that the goal is “is to establish the equilibrium of real force with the U.S. and make the U.S. rulers dare not talk about military option for the DPRK.”
The Korean news agency also said Kim indicated more “meaningful and practical” missile tests are on the way to prepare for “actual war.”
