North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in an annual New Year's speech today that he was ready for war if provoked by "invasive" outsiders, but stayed away from past threats centering on the country's nuclear weapons and long- range missile ambitions.
His comments stuck to the well-worn propaganda that's meant to lift his image for the elite residents of one of the world's poorest, most closed countries, and could be read as an attempt to keep ties with rivals Washington and Seoul from getting worse so he can try to turn around a miserable economy and further solidify his leadership.
"We will continue to work patiently to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula and regional stability. But if invasive outsiders and provocateurs touch us even slightly, we will not be forgiving in the least and sternly answer with a merciless, holy war of justice," said Kim, who wore thick black-rimmed glasses that continued his efforts to mimic the style favoured by his late grandfather, beloved national founder Kim Il Sung.
While largely a repeat of the kind of propaganda that appears daily in state-controlled media, Kim's words on North Korea's state TV will be pored over by analysts for hints about the country's intentions for the coming year.
There is little public information about the inner workings and policy goals of North Korea's government, which considers democratic South Korea and its ally the United States its enemies, and is pursuing a long-range missile that could carry a nuclear warhead to America's mainland.
Some observers had predicted that Kim would avoid overly provocative statements because the county wants to improve relations with South Korea and also China, its most important economic and strategic ally.
Ties between North Korea and China have been cool since Kim took power in 2011, but seemed to improve when a senior Chinese official attended a high-profile military parade in Pyongyang in October.
Kim didn't directly offer dialogue to Seoul and Washington, but said he was open to talks with anyone truly interested in "reconciliation and peace" on the Korean Peninsula.
He vowed to improve North Korea's struggling economy, and also called for the military to advance its technologies to develop more "diversified attack means."
Analysts say Kim likely wants a push for tangible diplomatic and economic achievements before a convention of the ruling Workers' Party in May, the party's first since 1980, when he is widely expected to announce major state polices and shake up the country's political elite to further consolidate his power.
