North Korea and US could ‘get along’ if Washington respects Pyongyang’s nuclear programme, says Kim Jong Un

North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday said he intended to expand and strengthen the country’s nuclear weapons programme. He also said his nation could “get along” with the US if Washington accepted that nuclear weapons were here to stay in North Korea. Kim’s comments were made at a five-yearly party congress held in Pyongyang, where he was presiding over a nighttime military parade, accompanied by his daughter, widely believed to be named Ju Ae. Kim called on the United States to respect his country’s nuclear power. He said that the two nations could “get along” only if the US accepts that North Korea’s nuclear weapons are here to stay, reported BBC. ALSO READ | Inside Kim Jong Un’s new Pyongyang district: A gift for families of ‘young martyrs’ killed in Russia’s war “If Washington respects our present [nuclear] position as stipulated in the Constitution… and withdraws its hostile policy… there is no reason why we cannot get along well with the United States,” Kim said at the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea, according to state media outlet KCNA, BBC reported. He added that the future state of US-North Korea relations “depends entirely on the US attitude.” “Whether it’s peaceful coexistence or permanent confrontation, we are ready for either, and the choice is not ours to make.” His statement come at a time when US President Donald Trump is set to visit China in April, leaving the door open for negotiations with US. ## ‘Most hostile entity’ Kim also addressed its relation with South Korea, calling the neighbouring nation its “most hostile entity”. He said that it would “permanently exclude Seoul from the category of compatriots”, adding that “as long as South Korea cannot escape the geopolitical conditions of having a border with us, the only way to live safely is to give up everything related to us and leave us alone”. As per BBC, one analyst told AFP that Pyongyang’s latest remarks signalled “an intention to pursue relations with the US independently, without going through South Korea”. At his parade, about 14,000 troops marched, according to state media, CNN reported. However, unlike in his usual parades, most military arsenal was missing. There was no procession of tanks, no towering intercontinental ballistic missiles, no hypersonix glide vehicles, and no transporter-erector-launchers. ## ‘Focused on expanding nations nuclear power’ In his closing remarks, Kim reaffirmed his stance on expanding the nation’s nuclear asenal. Calling it the party’s “firm will”, he spoke about strengthening national nuclear power and increasing both the number of weapons and the means to deploy them. “We will focus on projects to increase the number of nuclear weapons and expand nuclear operational means,” reported BBC. Once again, the daughter of the north Korean leader was spotted by his side at the parade. Speculations soar about her potential grooming as a successor.