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Reuters
Kim Jong-un at the Workers’ Party central committee meeting at the weekend
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for “positive and offensive measures” to ensure the country’s “sovereignty and security”.
He was speaking at a meeting of party leaders in Pyongyang, state media said.
His comments come amid rising tensions with the US over his country’s missile testing and nuclear policy.
On Sunday, the US warned that it would “demonstrate its disappointment” if North Korea carried out new long-range missile or nuclear tests.
According to North Korean state media KCNA, Mr Kim opened the party meeting on Saturday and presided over the session on Sunday.
He emphasised “the need to take positive and offensive measures” to “fully ensure the sovereignty and security of the country, as required by the present situation”.
Mr Kim did not elaborate on what “offensive measures” could mean.
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On Sunday – before Mr Kim’s remarks were publicised – the White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien said the US had “many tools in its tool kit” to respond to any North Korean tests.
“We’ll reserve judgment but the United States will take action as we do in these situations,” he told ABC.
“If Kim Jong-un takes that approach we’ll be extraordinarily disappointed and we’ll demonstrate that disappointment.”
Relations between the US and North Korea have deteriorated in recent months.
Mr Kim and Donald Trump held face-to-face talks in Singapore in June 2018, and in Vietnam in February this year, aimed at denuclearisation.
The two leaders also held an “impromptu” meeting at the demilitarised zone (DMZ) that separates North and South Korea in June.
But North Korea has continued testing short-range missiles – and hostile language has also resumed.
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Pyongyang set Washington an end-of-year deadline to offer sanctions relief, and has also suggested Mr Trump was a “dotard”.
That came after Mr Trump again referred to Mr Kim as “rocket man”.
Two weeks ago, the US special representative for North Korea urged Mr Kim to restart negotiations.
“We are here, let’s get this done,” said Stephen Biegun.
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