During a recent visit to the Kim Il Sung National Defense University on October 7, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made a pivotal announcement. He stated that North Korea “will never allow the balance of power on the Korean Peninsula to be disrupted.” This announcement came shortly before the National Defense Science Academy conducted a test firing of 240mm guided artillery rounds produced by several military enterprises under the Second Economic Committee.

Speaking at the university’s 60th anniversary celebration, Kim underscored the critical need to maintain military equilibrium in the region. He reaffirmed North Korea’s commitment to advancing its defense science and military industry, emphasizing the importance of enhancing its deterrence capabilities in response to any potential aggressions.

Kim expressed concern over the evolving South Korea-U.S. alliance, which he described as a shift toward nuclear-based military cooperation. He criticized their actions as provocative, warning that they pose risks to the military balance on the Korean Peninsula.

Highlighting the potential for conflict arising from any strategic imbalance, Kim stressed the necessity for North Korea to develop tangible capabilities that would deter hostile forces and effectively manage the situation.

Additionally, Kim made it clear that North Korea would not tolerate any disturbances to its military balance, vowing to utilize its own defense technologies to “crush the imperialists’ aggressive military activities.”

In a related development, KCNA reported that on October 8, North Korea’s National Defense Science Academy successfully carried out a verification test firing of the 240mm guided artillery rounds. This testing aimed to assess the reliability of the automatic firing system and validate the accuracy of the rounds against targets at a maximum range of 67 kilometers.