North Korean Leader: The US and South Korea Threaten Peace with Military Buildup

State media reported on Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated that his country's development of weapons is a form of self-defense against the aggressive policies of the United States and the military buildup in South Korea that destabilizes the peninsula. According to a report by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim said in a speech at a defense development exhibition that Pyongyang is only increasing its military strength for self-defense and not to initiate war. He stated, "We are not discussing war with anyone, but are literally discussing preventing war and increasing deterrence to protect national sovereignty." Kim added, without going into details, that despite Washington's statements that it holds no hostile feelings toward North Korea, it is difficult to believe these reassurances in light of its continued "wrongful actions and decrees."