North Korea utilized its annual U.N. platform on September 28, 2026, to caution other world leaders about "unprecedented mutual distrust and confrontation," while asserting its intent to endure and achieve its goals independently. The speech, delivered by Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong, was characterized as relatively mild by North Korean standards, lacking direct threats.
Kim emphasized the importance of multilateralism but maintained that North Korea could operate independently if necessary. He stated, "Gone are the days when an individual member state unilaterally imposed its will on the rest of the world and dominated the international political arena," advocating for a multipolar world based on justice and equity.
The speech highlighted North Korea's ongoing tensions with South Korea, Japan, and the United States, which maintain close security ties. Kim reiterated that North Korea is prepared to defend itself against external threats, noting, "No physical conflict has occurred on and around the Korean Peninsula... We owe it to the fact that the DPRK has a war deterrent in place powerful enough to break anyone's will to start a war of aggression against the DPRK."
Kim's remarks included a commitment to manage external threats through military strength, stating, "The DPRK will continue to strictly control and manage every external threat by dint of her supremacy in overwhelming strength." He criticized what he described as a military bloc with nuclear elements involving Japan, South Korea, and the United States, framing it as a provocation against North Korea.
Despite the absence of specific threats, Kim's speech followed North Korea's recent missile tests, including the launch of two short-range ballistic missiles just days prior to the U.N. meeting. The Korean Peninsula remains divided since the Korean War (1950-1953), with both North and South Korea in a technical state of war, guarded by a heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone.