Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader, declares he is prepared to confront the United States and “destroy” South Korea

In a speech delivered to commemorate the 69th anniversary of the armistice that put an end to hostilities in the Korean War, the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, issued a warning to “destroy” South Korea and said that he was prepared for any conflict with the United States.

Kim was making his first appearance in public in nearly three weeks. According to a report that was made public on Thursday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, the leader of North Korea was quoted as saying that “US imperialists are driving the South Korean authorities into a deadly conflict” with his country.

Kim said that the South Korean dictatorship and its military goons are now formulating strategies to forcefully challenge North Korea. “Such a risky endeavour will be quickly punished by our mighty force, and both the Yun Suk Yeol dictatorship and his army will be eradicated,”

This year, Kim has ramped up his provocations, shooting off a record number of ballistic missiles and exhibiting hints that it might perform its first nuclear test since 2017. This has occurred while the United States has been focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The impassioned address serves as a timely warning to Vice President Joe Biden of the severe threats to national security that Pyongyang poses.

The address commemorated the signing of the armistice agreement between US-led United Nations troops, North Korean and Chinese forces on July 27, which brought a ceasefire to the Korean War that had been raging from 1950-1953. North Korea commemorates the day as a “Victory in the Fatherland,” despite the fact that the conflict ended in a stalemate.

Kim has been able to improve his nuclear deterrence without worrying that he would face more sanctions from the United Nations Security Council as a result of the United States‘ campaign to isolate Russia in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the developing antagonism against China. There is a very low probability that Russia and China, both of which have veto power in the council, would back any penalties against North Korea, as they did in 2017 after a series of missile tests that spurred former President Donald Trump to threaten “fire and fury.”

During the warm summer months, Kim often disappears from public view in order to spend time at his oceanfront estate and on his megayacht. However, any absence that lasts for an extended period of time raises concerns about the health of the 38-year-old leader, who went the longest period of time without making a public appearance in his role as leader in 2014. His most recent appearance in official media was on July 9, when he participated in a photo shoot with cadres from the governing party.