Mindful of China, Kim Jong Un does not mention nuke at military parade

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not mention "nuclear" even a single time in his speech at a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party on Saturday, for which Pyongyang mobilized all of its flagship weapons. Standing close to the left of Kim was Liu Yunshan, who ranks fifth in China`s ruling Communist Party hierarchy as a standing member of the party’s politburo.

“Although it was a meaningful military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party, Kim Jong Un did not mention the policy of simultaneously developing economy and nuclear weapons, his signature ambition, and he only mentioned the policy of simultaneously developing economy and defense from the era of his grandfather Kim Il Sung,” a South Korean government source said. “Kim Jong Un will likely seek to improve external relations including inter-Korean relations and North Korea-China ties.”

China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that Kim told Liu on Friday, Kim, “North Korean is exerting efforts to achieve economic development and improve people’s livelihoods, and we need peaceful and stable external environment,” adding, “We hope to continue efforts to improve inter-Korean relations and to stabilize situation, making concerted efforts with all countries concerned.”

Most experts in South Korea say that such statements cannot be considered a signal that Pyongyang will start negotiations for its denuclearization. While introducing missiles displayed at the military parade on Saturday, the (North) Korean Central Station that the missiles are powerful strategic rockets loaded with diversified and miniaturized nuclear warheads. At that moment, Kim Jong Un said, “Our military forces are ready to fight any kind of war waged by the U.S. imperialists.”

“Kim Jong Un’s mentioning war and the U.S. indicates that ‘we can stage a nuclear war, and if you don’t like it, come to the negotiating table for a peace regime,” said Jeong Yeong-tae, a researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification. Analysts say the fact Kim stopped short of mentioning ‘nuclear’ at the military parade is to help save the face of China, which was the only country that sent a high-level official, and to demonstrate the closeness of North Korea-China ties.

Xinhua reported that Liu asked Kim to maintain denuclearization and seek an early resumption of six-way denuclearization talks, but the North’s Korean Central News Agency did not report on this issue at all.