North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to implement the "toughest" anti-U.S. measures, state media reported Sunday, just weeks before Donald Trump returns to the White House as U.S. president. Kim's remarks, made during a five-day plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, described the U.S. as "the most reactionary state" and criticized the expanding U.S.-South Korea-Japan security partnership as a "nuclear military bloc for aggression," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Kim clarified a strategy for "the toughest anti-U.S. counteraction," stressing the importance of bolstering North Korea's military capabilities and enhancing the mental resilience of its soldiers. While Trump's previous tenure saw three high-profile summits with Kim aimed at denuclearization, efforts ultimately collapsed in 2019 over disagreements on sanctions relief. Experts suggest a quick resumption of diplomacy under Trump is unlikely as his administration is expected to prioritize conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. North Korea's deepening military cooperation with Russia amid the Ukraine war further complicates diplomatic efforts. The U.S. and allies have accused North Korea of supplying Moscow with troops and conventional weapons, with Ukraine estimating 3,000 North Korean casualties in Russia's Kursk region since October. Since the collapse of talks, North Korea has significantly ramped up weapons testing to enhance its nuclear missile capabilities targeting the U.S. and its allies. The U.S. and South Korea have responded by expanding bilateral and trilateral military drills involving Japan, drawing fierce criticism from Pyongyang, which views such exercises as invasion rehearsals. Further complicating matters, Russia and China have blocked U.S.-led efforts to impose additional U.N. sanctions on North Korea despite its repeated violations of Security Council resolutions through missile tests. Kim has repeatedly framed his nuclear arsenal as essential for countering external threats, dismissing diplomacy as futile due to what he calls the U.S.'s "unchangeable" hostility. — Agencies
