North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hailed his nuclear program in a speech on Monday and warned Pyongyang’s foes that they would “pay dearly” if they challenge the country’s right to a nuclear deterrent, state media reported.

In a lengthy speech at the Sixth National Conference of War Veterans marking the 67th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement, Kim said nuclear arms provided the DPRK with a permanent security guarantee, echoing remarks at the start of the new year on the country’s intentions to maintain the program in the face of perceived U.S. threats.

The DPRK leader also warned North Koreans to “never forget” the “brutality of U.S. imperialism” in the Korean War (1950 to 1953).

The speech comes as Pyongyang and Washington remain at odds over resuming talks to carry out an agreement made in Singapore in June 2018, where the two promised to improve relations and work towards the North’s denuclearization.

Hundreds of youth and elderly veterans were reportedly in attendance at this week’s event — the first of its kind since 2018. The conferences are intended to highlight those who fought against the DPRK’s historical enemies, as well as instill ideological loyalty in the “new generation.”

Attendees of all ages, however, were not seen wearing masks or seated in “social distancing” arrangements, raising questions over consistency in the country’s COVID-19 measures just days after Kim declared the first official suspected case.

REMINDERS OF WAR

Kim Jong Un’s speech marking 67 years since the Korean War armistice agreement was typical of those given on war anniversaries in the country, reminding of past struggles but emphasizing positive developments to keep the “enemies” at bay.

After declaring that North Korea has “become a nuclear power by the path of self-development,” Kim said the country has finally “changed into being able to completely and reliably contain the high-intensity pressure and military threats and intimidation of the imperialist reactionaries.”

No country “can look down on us anymore,” Kim said, but “if they do, they will be made to pay dearly,” according to a Korean-language readout of the full speech reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Tuesday.

“Through our reliable and effective self-defensive nuclear deterrent, there will never be war on this land again and our country’s safety and future are firmly and permanently secured.”

One expert told NK News that, despite Kim’s stance on maintaining the country’s nuclear posture, the U.S. is unlikely to respond with much alarm.

“The United States may well reiterate a focus on final, fully verified denuclearization and call on North Korea to fulfill its commitments,” said Mintaro Oba, a former State Department official working on North Korea. “But I think it will basically be the equivalent of rolling their eyes and moving on.”

Kim also made similar statements in his speech at a party plenum at the end of last year, warning that the DPRK would “reliably put on constant alert the powerful nuclear deterrent capable of containing the nuclear threats from the U.S.”

But the reminders of alleged U.S. atrocities committed during the Korean War were also still present in Monday’s speech, just as state media has continued to encourage hatred of the United States, South Korea and others who assisted in the war through the construction of new museums containing related exhibits. 

The Korean War “made it so [we] can never forget the U.S. imperialists’ aggression and brutality,” Kim reportedly said. He added that the “fierce confrontation with the enemies” continues and that the “threats and pressure of imperialism has steadily risen.”

Kim also acknowledged that “today’s conditions and environment are difficult,” before shifting to once again emphasizing the military’s role in the country and the sacrifices of the veterans in attendance.

Chinese volunteers sent to assist the North in the war were mentioned, too, with Kim saying they “set a genuine example of militant friendship while helping the Korean people in their revolutionary war at the cost of blood,” the KCNA reported.

Those attending the large event, in addition to top party and military officials and the war veterans, included “chairmen of provincial Party committees, officials of ministries, national institutions and armed forces organs, faculty members and students of revolutionary schools, and youth and students of Pyongyang,” KCNA reported.

COVID-19 CONCERNS

Images of the war veterans conference published in state media on Tuesday showed hundreds of elderly veterans filling the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang, seated with no spaces left open for social distancing and without wearing masks.

It is just the latest example in a series of conflicting depictions of state policies meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19, following North Korea’s first official acknowledgement of a suspected case of infection over the weekend.

The veterans, likely to be in their 80s and 90s, would be considered at a high hisk of contracting the virus, and their gathering raises the possibility that the event was dually intended as a show of confidence by DPRK authorities in their handling of the virus’s containment.

But while measures intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 have been taken in other indoor events in recent months, and masks have appeared mandatory outside of citizens’ homes, there appear to be exceptions to the rules, including a major gathering of the rubber-stamp legislature in April and some political events this month. 

Veterans and others were, however, depicted wearing masks in state media coverage of peripheral events marking the war anniversary, including visits to memorials and a fireworks show in downtown Pyongyang. 

Another likely effect of the COVID-19 prevention measures is the absence this year of Kim Jong Un participating in a group photo session with the veterans, which took place at the conferences or veteran gatherings in July 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018.

Meanwhile, the city of Kaesong near the inter-Korean border remains on complete lockdown to contain the potential spread of the novel coronavirus, the party daily Rodong Sinmun reported Tuesday. 

Edited by Oliver Hotham