North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has put the ball squarely in Washington’s court, saying that the United States must accept North Korea as a nuclear power or face “eternal confrontation”. Speaking at the close
of the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in Pyongyang on Wednesday, Kim laid out a stark diplomatic offer to American President Donald Trump.
“If the US respects our country’s current nuclear status as stipulated in the Constitution and withdraws its hostile policy, there is no reason why we cannot get along well with the United States,” Kim said, according to state media outlet KCNA, as reported by BBC. “Whether it’s peaceful coexistence or permanent confrontation, we are ready for either, and the choice is not ours to make.”
The congress, held just once every five years, drew roughly 5,000 party delegates and ended with a military parade of over 14,000 troops through Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square.
Trump Connection and Possible Summit
Trump, who is expected to travel to China in late March through early April, could seek a sideline meeting with Kim. Speaking to BBC, in October 2025, the US president told reporters onboard Air Force One, “I would. If you want to put out the word, I’m open to it,” adding that he “had a great relationship” with Kim. Trump has previously called himself 100 percent open to such a meeting and has referred to North Korea as “sort of a nuclear power.”
The two leaders last met in 2019, when talks collapsed over disagreements on sanctions relief and nuclear concessions. Since then, formal nuclear diplomacy has stalled for over six years. Kim ignored Trump’s outreach when the US president visited South Korea last fall.
Kim’s latest remarks signal that he will not negotiate away his weapons. “North Korea is projecting strategic confidence that it will no longer be swayed by Washington’s denuclearisation pressure,” said Kyungnam University professor Lim Eul-chul, speaking to AFP.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimated last year that North Korea holds around 50 assembled nuclear warheads, with material for up to 40 more.
Seoul Shut Out Completely
While leaving some room for US engagement, Kim slammed the door on South Korea entirely. He said that Pyongyang will “permanently exclude South Korea from the category of compatriots,” calling it the North’s “most hostile entity”.
“As long as South Korea cannot escape the geopolitical conditions of having a border with us, the only way to live safely is to give up everything related to us and leave us alone,” Kim said.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has been pushing for reconciliation, including efforts to halt propaganda drone flights and seeking humanitarian aid exemptions through the UN Security Council. AFP reports that Seoul responded to Kim’s remarks by calling on both sides to avoid “hostile and confrontational words and actions”.
North Korea amended its constitution in 2024 to formally define South Korea as a “hostile state”.
Expanding the Arsenal
Kim also pledged to keep building up his country’s nuclear capabilities. “We will focus on projects to increase the number of nuclear weapons and expand nuclear operational means,” he said.
North Korea’s deepening military ties with Russia have given the Kim regime both income and weapons expertise, reducing its dependence on the international community and its willingness to trade away its nuclear program for sanctions relief.
