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Kim Jong Un Snubs Trump by Vowing to Bolster Nuclear Weapons Program

Trump has said he wants to re-establish diplomatic relations with North Korea.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to bolster his nuclear weapons program in response to the U.S.’s enhanced security partnership with South Korea and Japan. Last year, the U.S. expanded bilateral military exercises with South Korean and trilateral training with South Korea and Japan. Kim has called the drills rehearsals to invade the country. Over the weekend, during a speech marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Army, he accused the three countries of forming a NATO-like regional military bloc that threatened his state’s security and reiterated his plans to develop North Korea’s nuclear forces. The threats aren’t new, as over the past few years Kim has focused on enlarging and modernizing his arsenal of nuclear weapons. But his statements suggest Kim isn’t embracing President Donald Trump’s offer to meet and re-establish diplomatic relations with North Korea. Since taking office on Jan. 20, Trump has bragged about his high-stakes—but ultimately fruitless—summit with Kim during his first term and vowed to reach out again. Kim hasn’t directly responded to the overtures, but he has continued criticizing the U.S. and has sent troops to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.