North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hinted that an understanding could be built with the United States if it recognized his country's nuclear status, state media reported Thursday. This came at a time when On escalated his rhetoric towards South Korea and attacked its peace efforts, amid speculation of a possible meeting between him and US President Donald Trump.

Published on: 02/26/2026 - 02:09 Last updated: 02/26/2026 - 07:57

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that an "understanding" between Pyongyang and Washington could be possible if the United States recognized North Korea as a nuclear power, but in return he stressed that South Korea remains "the most hostile," state media reported Thursday.

At the conclusion of the ninth congress of the ruling Workers' Party, which sets out Pyongyang's main political directions for the next five years, Kim urged the US administration to respect his country's status as a nuclear power recognized by the constitution.

The Korean Central News Agency quoted Kim as saying that if “Washington respects the current status of our country stipulated in the Constitution... and abandons its hostile policy... there is no reason why we cannot reach an understanding with the United States.”

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But the North Korean leader, on the other hand, seemed to be closing the door on any initiative to build closer relations with Seoul, stressing that his country “has no interest in dealing with South Korea, the most hostile entity,” and describing the recent peace efforts led by Seoul as “deceptive.”

In this context, US President Donald Trump intensified his praise of Kim during his tour in Asia last year, expressing his “100 percent” openness to meeting with him, and even contradicted decades of American policy by acknowledging that North Korea is “somewhat a nuclear power.” In April, Trump is expected to visit China, North Korea's ally, amid growing speculation that he will seek to hold a meeting with Kim on the sidelines of this visit.

Following the end of the Workers' Party conference, North Korea organized a huge military parade in Kim Il-sung Square in the capital, Pyongyang, in which various types of its armed forces participated.

France 24/AFP

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