South Koreans watch a TV news program showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's New Year speech, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 1, 2016.(Photo: AP)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he is ready for war if provoked by "invasive" outsiders, in his annual New Year's speech.
In the address, his fourth since becoming leader in 2011, Kim spoke of the need to increase the "political and military might" of his country "in every way," according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
"The year 2015 was a year of gigantic struggle recorded with significant events and eye-opening successes and a year of victory and glory that strikingly demonstrated the dignity and might of socialist Korea," Kim said in the 30-minute televised speech.
"We will continue to work patiently to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula and regional stability," he added. "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."
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Kim<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said he is open to talks on improving relations with South Korea. The neighbors reached an agreement to defuse tensions in August after a landmine at the border injured two of the South's soldiers, but high-level talks that followed last month ended without any deal.
"We are willing to have talks in an open-minded manner with anyone who wants peace and unification," Kim said. "South Korea should honor the spirit of the inter-Korean agreement in August. Seoul should refrain from doing acts that hurt the conciliatory mood."
Kim's speech follows the death of Kim Yang Gon, North Korea's top official in charge of ties with South Korea, who was killed in a traffic accident this week at the age of 73.
In a speech to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the ruling communist Workers' Party on Oct. 10, Kim said he is prepared to wage war against the United States if necessary.
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