Kim says N. Korea's 'absolute' status cannot be reversed on founding day

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reaffirmed his commitment to adhering to the country's nuclear weapons program in a speech marking the national foundation day, according to the North's state media Wednesday. "The cause of building a powerful country ... is being reviewed proudly now that our state has attained a remarkable status," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted Kim as saying in a speech at a national founding day ceremony held the previous day at Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang. On Tuesday, North Korea marked the 77th anniversary of the country's founding on Sept. 9, 1948, by the current leader's grandfather, Kim Il-sung, in the communist northern part of the Korean Peninsula. The North Korean leader did not directly mention nuclear weapons, but his reference to a "remarkable status" apparently alluded to the country's nuclear and missile arsenal. "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," Kim proclaimedWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times