In an article by CNBC , the North Korean leader has reiterated their strong stance against interference with the United States and has emphasized that they are ready to use their nuclear weapons against those who will exhibit threats against them in his New Year’s Day speech. In the same speech, Kim Jong Un has claimed that they are ready to open dialogues with South Korea and that they are considering sending delegates to the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea in February which is why talks are being arranged to discuss the matter. According to Reuters , they have even claimed that this is a great opportunity for the two countries to showcase unity in the region. The North Korean leader even wished for the success of the Games in South Korea. South Korean leader, Moon Jae-in, considers North Korean delegates in the Games as an assurance to the safety of the games since the venue for the Olympics is only about 50 miles from the North Korean border. South Korea has already asked the United States to pause military drills in the Korean peninsula that provokes North Korea.
North Korea and South Korea have a complex relationship, however, Kim Jong Un claimed in his speech that they are willing to open opportunities for talks to lower military tension in the region. In the same speech, Kim claimed that it is high time for North and South Korea to move towards an improved relationship by sitting down and discussing moves for a better relationship.
Spokesperson of South Korean’s leader said that they are still looking at the speech of Kim Jong Un. According to Bloomberg , the South Korean leader has been adamant in inviting North Korea to send contingents to the Games since he took office in May and has been urging dialogues geared towards lowering tensions in the region.
However, while many attempts to seek for peace is evident in his speech, Kim Jong Un still mentioned that there will be a continuous arms race of nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles by North Korea this coming year for operational deployment. This may still imply a more complex dynamic between North Korea and South Korea’s long-standing ally, United States.