North Korean Leader, Kim Jong-un, made a defiant speech at a military parade on Monday (April 25, 2022) night, and has vowed to ramp up the country’s nuclear weapons programme.

The parade, which marked the Armed Forces’ Founding Anniversary, also displayed banned Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs). In March this year (2022), North Korea tested its largest-known ICBM for the first time since 2017.

This move however sparked wide condemnation from the international community. In response, the US also imposed several sanctions on the country after the test. ICBMs, designed for nuclear arms delivery, now extended North Korea’s strike range as far as the US mainland.

The parade also featured submarine-launched ballistic missiles in addition to hypersonic missiles. However, Mr. Kim has been undeterred by the condemnation so far.

“We will continue to take steps to strengthen and develop our nation’s nuclear capabilities at the fastest pace,” he said, adding that their nuclear forces “must be ready” to be exercised anytime, according to a report by the state-owned Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Justifying the Nuclear Weapons

The North Korean leader intimated that nuclear weapons are fundamentally a deterrence tool against war, but could be used for other means, echoing previous rhetoric that the country would strike back if attacked.

Parade pictures released by state media showed that the Hwasong-17 was among the weapons displayed at the parade. North Korea claimed to have test-fired the massive ICBM for the first time in March 2022.

A Successful Test Launch?

South Korean experts, on the other hand, have questioned the success of the test launch. Typically, Pyongyang showcases its new weapons at its military parades which often feature long processions of tanks, artillery and soldiers. But Monday’s (April 25, 2022) military parade was closely watched as North Korea tested several missiles this year (2022), heightening tensions on the Peninsula.

In addition, satellite images showed North Korea firing up activity at its nuclear testing facility in Punggye-ri in March 2022, stirring up fears that the country would resume testing nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.

Concerns Raised

The recent election of South Korea’s new President, Yoon Suk-yeol, who voiced a harsher line on North Korea’s actions, has frayed relations. South Korea’s Defence Minister, Suh Wook, earlier this month (April) disclosed that the South could strike the North’s missile launch points, sparking a furious reaction from Pyongyang.

In 2018, Kim Jong-un, put in place a moratorium on long-range ballistic missile and nuclear tests, following talks with then US President Donald Trump. But in 2020, Kim announced he was no longer bound by this promise. Meanwhile, the Biden Administration has repeatedly said it is willing to resume talks without preconditions but has so far shown little interest in engaging North Korea, which has demanded an end to sanctions levelled against it.

Mr. Biden has instead prioritised relations with South Korea and Japan, and thrown his support behind efforts by the South’s outgoing President, Moon Jae-in, to smoothen relations between the two countries.