North Korea's Kim Yo Jong Says U.S. 'Provocation' Justifies Nuclear Build-up

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, has criticized the U.S. government under President Donald Trump for what she describes as stepping up provocations. This situation has justified North Korea's action to bolster its nuclear weapons capability.

"As soon as its new administration appeared this year, the U.S. has stepped up the political and military provocations against the DPRK, 'carrying forward' the former administration's hostile policy," Kim Yo Jong was quoted by KCNA news agency on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

Before, Kim had condemned the visit of the USS Carl Vinson warship to South Korea on Sunday, March 2, stating that the action is part of a “policy of confrontation” against North Korea.

"Hostile policy toward the DPRK pursued by the U.S. at present is offering sufficient justification for the DPRK to indefinitely bolster ... its nuclear war deterrent," Kim said, as quoted from Reuters

On Tuesday, March 4, the South Korean Defense Ministry stated that Kim Yo Jong's comments were nothing but deception to justify North Korea's development of nuclear missiles.

"North Korea's nuclear weapons are never acceptable, and the only way for North Korea to survive is to abandon its obsession and delusion about nuclear (weapons)," the South Korean Defense Ministry said.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, March 2, the South Korean Navy stated that the U.S. aircraft carrier had arrived at the port of Busan, South Korea, as a showcase of military strength against North Korea.

North Korea claims that its nuclear and ballistic armaments are necessary to confront the threats from the United States and its allies, who waged war against North Korea during the 1950-1953 Korean War.

North Korean state media has showcased photos of various types of warheads, but the country has never disclosed the number of weapons it possesses. Analysts and foreign intelligence agencies only have rough estimates. In July, a report from the Federation of American Scientists concluded that North Korea may have produced enough fissile material to build up to 90 nuclear warheads, but is likely to have assembled only around 50.

Lee Sang-kyu, a nuclear engineering specialist at the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis in South Korea, estimated that North Korea has 80-90 nuclear warheads based on uranium and plutonium, a figure expected to rise to 166 by 2030.

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