North Korea’s Kim says relations with US depend on US attitude, military parade held

SEOUL, Feb 26 (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said prospects of North Korea-U.S. relations depend entirely on the attitude of the United States, while excluding any discussion with South Korea, state media KCNA said on Thursday. 

North Korea also held a military parade on Wednesday night to commemorate its key party congress, KCNA said.

Kim announced the end of North Korea’s Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party on Wednesday, saying it set out major policy goals for the nuclear-armed Asian nation for the next five years.

“We have a prospective plan to strengthen our national nuclear force, and will focus on projects to increase the number of nuclear weapons and expand nuclear operational means and space for use,” Kim said, according to KCNA.

“If the U.S. withdraws its policy of confrontation with North Korea by respecting our country’s current status… there is no reason why we cannot get along well with the U.S.,” Kim said, according to KCNA.

Kim has so far not accepted overtures by U.S. President Donald Trump, whom he met with three times during Trump’s first term.

Meanwhile, Kim called South Korea “most hostile enemy” and ruled out discussions with its neighbour, saying Pyongyang “can initiate arbitrary action” if South Korea conducts “obnoxious behaviour” in the face of nuclear-armed North Korea.

“South Korea’s complete collapse cannot be ruled out,” Kim said according to KCNA.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Chris Reese and Lincoln Feast.)