{"id":121164,"date":"2022-09-09T01:28:38","date_gmt":"2022-09-09T01:28:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/09\/09\/north-korea-says-it-will-never-give-up-nukes-to-counter-us\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T14:39:06","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T14:39:06","slug":"north-korea-says-it-will-never-give-up-nukes-to-counter-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/09\/09\/north-korea-says-it-will-never-give-up-nukes-to-counter-us\/","title":{"rendered":"North Korea says it will never give up nukes to counter US"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SEOUL, South Korea \u2014 North Korean leader Kim Jong Un<\/a> says his country will never abandon the nuclear weapons and missiles it needs to counter the United States, which he accused of pushing a pressure campaign to weaken the North\u2019s defenses and eventually collapse his government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

State media said Friday that Kim made the comments during a speech at North Korea\u2019s rubber-stamp parliament on Thursday where members also passed a law that authorized North Korea\u2019s military to \u201cautomatically\u201d execute nuclear strikes against enemy forces if its leadership comes under attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also criticized rival South Korea over its plans to expand its conventional strike capabilities and revive large-scale military exercises with the United States<\/a> to counter the North\u2019s growing threats, describing them as a \u201cdangerous\u201d military action that raises tensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kim has made increasingly provocative threats of nuclear conflict toward the United States and its allies in Asia in recent months, also warning that the North would proactively use its nuclear weapons when threatened. His latest comments underscored the growing animosity in the region as he accelerates the expansion of his nuclear weapons and missiles program.<\/p>\n\n\n\t