Daily US Times: Kim Jong-un has said North Korea needs to prepare for both “dialogue and confrontation” with the US, and “especially to get fully prepared for confrontation”.
North Korea had earlier snubbed efforts by President Joe Biden’s administration to establish diplomatic communication.
This marks the first time the North Korean leader Mr Kim has directly commented on Mr Biden’s administration.
Mr Kim was speaking at a meeting of senior leaders in the capital Pyongyang.
The ruling Workers’ Party central committee meeting which started this week also saw Mr Kim admitting the country was facing food shortages.
The North Korean dictator said they needed “especially to get fully prepared for confrontation in order to protect the dignity of our state and its interests for independent development”, and according to state media outlet KCNA, as well as to guarantee a peaceful environment and North Korea’s security.
Kim Jong-un also said North Korea would “sharply and promptly” react to any developments and “concentrate efforts on taking stable control of the situation on the Korean peninsula”.
Mr Kim’s relationship with the current US administration has so far been fraught with tension.
Prior to the US election, Joe Biden had called Kim Jong-un a “thug”, and days before Mr Biden’s inauguration, North Korea put on a show of force with a massive military parade that showcased a new missile.
In April, President Joe Biden referred to North Korea as a “serious threat” to global security.
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