Kim Jong Un, Chairman of North Korea's State Affairs Commission, made it clear on the 77th anniversary of the regime's founding that he has no intention of abandoning the country's status as a "nuclear-armed state."
According to the Korean Central News Agency on September 10, Kim stated at the national flag-raising ceremony and central pledge event held the previous day at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang to mark the 77th anniversary of the regime's founding, "The 77 years of building a powerful nation, which began on the day the new Korea was proclaimed, are now being proudly summed up by the extraordinary status our country has achieved."
Although Kim did not specify what he meant by "extraordinary status," it is presumed to refer to North Korea's status as a nuclear-armed state.
He emphasized, "Now, no one and nothing can undermine the absolute status and security of our country, and the powerful current of prosperity that we have created with our own hands cannot be reversed by any force." This is interpreted as a clear indication that he has no intention of relinquishing North Korea's status as a nuclear-armed state.
Kim also stated, "Socialism is the only correct path," adding, "We have been able to build a strong political system and robust national power that will never entrust the fate of our homeland to any external choice, and that is how we have achieved today's glory."
Furthermore, Kim said, "Socialism is the symbol of great and beautiful Korea, the cornerstone of the republic's permanent existence and boundless prosperity, and an inexhaustible driving force," stressing the principle of self-reliance.
Meanwhile, Kim attended the commemorative event that day along with members of the Politburo Standing Committee and other party and government officials, participating in the flag-raising ceremony and making the pledge to mark the 77th anniversary of the founding.
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