Kim Jong Un Claims North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons, Not Talks, Eased Standoff With South Korea

Kim Jong Un claims North Korea’s nuclear weapons, not talks, eased the standoff with South Korea.

The supreme leader of North Korea insists the country’s arsenal alone made officials in South Korea think twice about stepping into an all-out war with their neighbors after South Korea blasted North Korea with propaganda broadcasts with 11 loudspeakers, according to the Mirror.

The broadcasts started after two soldiers were injured in a landmine blast, which South Korea blamed on North Korea. The North denied any involvement.

Kim Jong Un threatened the South after the broadcasts began, and the two sides fired at one another.

After nearly 40 hours of talks with one another in a DMZ village of Panmunjom, the two countries were able to come to an understanding with North Korea regretting the landmine blasts (but not apologizing) and South Korea turning off its loudspeakers.

However, Kim Jong Un had more to say with his negotiators now away from the peace-keeping table. Kim Jong Un claims North Korea’s nuclear weapons, not talks, eased the standoff with South Korea.

“[It] was by no means something achieved on the negotiating table but thanks to the tremendous military muscle with the nuclear deterrent for self-defence.”

Others speculate Kim Jong Un did not expect South Korea’s reaction to be so swift in retaliating with fire of their own, and he may have backed down to talks because he was not prepared to deliver on his threats of advanced military action, according to the Washington Post.

It is unknown what type of nuclear capability Kim Jong Un and his country currently has, but the country is adamant it has been testing weapons as far back as 2006. Kim Jong Un announced he plans to strengthen his nuclear program to improve the North Korean military.

Despite his desire to “mercilessly wipe out” the South Korean Government, Kim Jong Un proudly said the two countries are back on track to develop a relationship made of “reconciliation and trust” made possible by clearing “the dark clouds of war that hung over the Korean nation.”

The Korean Central News Agency went on to report Kim Jong Un’s announcement to officials at a meeting to review the country’s “revolutionary measures” taken recently.

“We protected the dignity and sovereignty of the country, the gains of the revolution and the happiness of the people by our own efforts amid the tempest of the history without anybody’s support and sympathy.”

Kim Jong Un and North Korea have expressed no interest in stopping the nuclear weapons program and recently expressed disinterest in a similar deal to the one agreed upon by the United States and Iran.

[Photo by AFP]