North Korea Nuclear Program

In a Monday speech to North Korea’s rubber‑stamp parliament, Kim Jong Un pledged that his government will 'continue to consolidate our absolutely irreversible status as a nuclear power' and take a hard‑line stance toward what he called the 'most hostile' state, South Korea. According to state media accounts relayed by the Associated Press, Kim accused the United States of 'state terrorism and aggression,' apparently referencing the U.S.–Israel war with Iran, and said Pyongyang will play a more forceful role in a united front against Washington amid rising anti‑American sentiment. He warned that it is up to North Korea’s adversaries whether relations move toward 'confrontation or peaceful coexistence,' adding that his regime is prepared to respond to either path. The article notes that the U.S. Intelligence Community’s 2026 Annual Threat Assessment already concludes that Pyongyang remains committed to expanding its missiles and nuclear warheads and bolstering its deterrent, and Kim’s remarks publicly reaffirm that trajectory at a moment when U.S. attention is heavily focused on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.