North Korea will not give up its status as a nuclear state

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that Pyongyang will not change its status as a nuclear-armed state, the official Korean Central News Agency reported today.

Kim said in a political speech delivered yesterday in the Legislative Council in Pyongyang: “We will continue to consolidate our status as a nuclear-armed state as an irreversible path, while strongly escalating our struggle against hostile forces.”

He added that North Korea would respond “mercilessly” if South Korea violated its rights, and described Seoul as “the most hostile country,” according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.

Kim continued: “We will classify South Korea as the most hostile country… Pyongyang will make it pay the price mercilessly, without the slightest consideration or hesitation, for any action that violates our republic.”