The Kim’s Speech: Leader of North Korea Gives Sensational New Year Official Statement
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un started the new year with a series of sensational statements. After saying that the nuclear button is already on his desk, he added that the North Korean national team might go to the Olympic Games in PyeongChang. While previously Kim Jong-un's official statements were mostly presented by news agencies with his photo or muted footage in the background, this time the whole world heard his voice.
Our own reporter in the region, Sergey Mingazhev, will talk about the aftermath of this speech.
Kim Jong-un has inherited the tradition of New Year address and his looks from his grandfather, the founder of North Korea — Kim Il-sung. During the time of Kim Jong-il this practice was abandoned. On the first day of 2018, the people of North Korea and, with them, the entire world heard the actual voice of their leader. The grandson of the eternal president of North Korea sums up the past year.
Kim Jong-un, Leader of North Korea: "The entire mainland of the U.S. is within the range of our nuclear weapons. The nuclear button is always on my desk. They need to understand that this is a reality, not an empty threat".
The fireworks on the city promenade are the biggest New Year's show in Pyongyang. People take pictures with their smartphones. North Korea has its own mobile network and enjoys the use of the Internet. The ice sculpture park boasts a snow copy of the Hwasong-15 ballistic missile. After it was successfully tested end of November, Kim Jong-un announced that the country completed its nuclear forces. From the large screen, the leader of North Korea talks about the goals for the next year.
Kim Jong-un, Leader of North Korea: "We need to focus on the mass production of warheads and ballistic missiles that can be quickly deployed".
The people's response is that they are ready for the challenge.
A resident of Pyongyang: "I'm proud of what we achieved last year. I listened to the New Year address of Respected Comrade Kim Jong-un, and it makes me work even harder."
Ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests, performed last year in North Korea, led to the strengthening of the UN Security Council sanctions which now include restrictions on oil import and require all countries to deport North Korean migrant workers. Kim Jong-un insists, however, that his nuclear program is just a response to Washington's aggressive politics, and refuses to discontinue the tests.
Moreover, in his New Year address, he talked about being ready for talks and reconciliation with South Korea.
Kim Jong-un, Leader of North Korea: "The Winter Olympic games in South Korea will be a great opportunity. We sincerely hope they will go well, and we're ready to take certain steps, including sending our delegation".
Seoul has already given a response.
Park Soo-hyun, Presidential Spokesman: "We welcome Kim Jong-un's New Year address in which he expressed willingness to send a team to the PyeongChang Olympics".
But Seoul's biggest allies on this issue, Washington and Tokyo, are still not interested in negotiations. Less than a month ago, South Korea and the U.S. started Vigilant Ace, a joint drill with more than 200 combat aircraft aimed to keep Pyongyang in check.
Japan held a meeting of its National Security Council to discuss possible scenarios of a war on the Korean peninsula. When asked whether they might pause the drills at least for the duration of the Olympic Games, James Mattis, the head of Pentagon, gave an unambiguous answer.
Kim Jong-un, Leader of North Korea: "I could pause exercises because of a diplomatic issue or something. I don’t anticipate that right now".
The U.S. national team's trip to PyeongChang is still uncertain for security reasons. So it's not likely that 2018 will ease the tensions on the Korean peninsula.
Sergey Mingazhev, Alexey Pichkov. East Asian office of Vesti.