North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hailed the country's "absolute status and security" at a national flag-raising and oath-taking ceremony in Pyongyang to mark the 77th anniversary of the country’s founding, state media reported Wednesday. Photo by KCNA/EPA
SEOUL, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised the country's "absolute status and security" in a speech commemorating the 77th anniversary of the North's founding day, state media reported Wednesday.
"The cause of building a powerful country ... is being reviewed proudly now that our state has attained a remarkable status," Kim said at a ceremony in Pyongyang on Tuesday, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
"Now no one, by whatever means, can do harm to the absolute status and security of our state, and no force can reverse the powerful current towards an era of prosperity, which we have created by ourselves," he said.
While Kim did not mention nuclear weapons explicitly, the remarks appear to be a reference to the country's growing nuclear and missile arsenal, which Pyongyang frequently touts as a core element of its sovereignty and prestige.
