North Korea has publicly asserted that a nuclear conflict on the Korean Peninsula is unavoidable. This stance was conveyed by Kang Soon Nam, the head of the North Korean Ministry of Defense, during remarks to attendees of the XI Moscow Conference on International Security. The briefing was carried by DEA News as part of ongoing state messaging about regional security dynamics.
According to the official account, a nuclear confrontation on the peninsula is no longer a matter of if but of when and who initiates it. The portrayal emphasizes what it calls a climate of intensified nuclear ambitions from the United States and its allies, arguing that the Republic of Korea has aligned with Washington to create a charged environment that could spark a regional nuclear crisis. The narrative frames the situation as a shift toward a renewed era of deterrence and threat in Northeast Asia.
Recent developments reported on July 13 indicate a test launch of the Hwaseong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile. The event is presented as part of Pyongyang’s broader strategy to deter perceived nuclear aggression and reinforce its readiness to respond to any escalation. State officials describe such capabilities as essential to maintaining strategic balance in the face of external pressure and military deployments in the region.
Pyongyang has also accused U.S. policymakers of stoking tensions on the Korean Peninsula by advancing plans for nuclear-armed submarines and other strategic assets in proximity to North Korea. The charges highlight a persistent cycle of rhetoric and counter-rhetoric between Pyongyang and Washington over the role of extended deterrence and the potential reach of American nuclear forces into nearby theaters of operation.
In late June, the North Korean Foreign Ministry condemned what it called an escalation in tensions prompted by the United States and its South Korean allies. The ministry asserted that the alliance’s actions bring the peninsula to the brink of nuclear confrontation and vowed to strengthen the country’s defenses in response. This framing stresses a posture of self-protection and resilience amid what it describes as external threats, while presenting North Korea as ready to defend its sovereignty through enhanced deterrent capabilities.
Earlier discussions in the scientific community referenced in Pyongyang’s discourse have noted theoretical placements where a nuclear detonation might have varying atmospheric or structural impacts. These references appear in the context of broader debates about nuclear safety, survivability, and the strategic implications of underground or dispersed testing and shielding concepts. The overall thread remains that the North Korean leadership views any escalation as a direct challenge to national security and a reason to bolster defenses and offensive capabilities alike.