North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed that his country's nuclear program will continue indefinitely.
Kim warned of an "inevitable" confrontation with hostile nations and said 2025 would be a "crucial year" for bolstering North Korea's nuclear forces, the KCNA news agency reported Wednesday.
"It is our firm political and military stand and invariable noble task and duty to develop the state's nuclear counteraction posture indefinitely," Kim said, according to KCNA.
The announcement came just days after US President Donald Trump expressed his intention to re-engage diplomatically with Pyongyang.
Kim said the aim is increasing Pyongyang’s readiness for what he described as “an inevitable long-term confrontation" with hostile countries.
The remarks come against the backdrop of North Korea’s recent test-firing of strategic guided cruise missiles, marking the country’s first military demonstration since Trump’s inauguration.
Kim addressed "the world's most unstable situation in which a long-term confrontation with the most vicious hostile countries is inevitable," and that it was "indispensable for the country to steadily strengthen the nuclear shield".
North Korea says it is seeking nuclear weapons to counter threats from the United States and its allies, including South Korea.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high, with the North launching a flurry of ballistic missiles last year, prompting the South’s protest.
During his first term in office, Trump met with Kim three times.
Trump, who recently told reporters that he aims to resume peace talks with Kim, has described his relationship with Kim as “very, very good.”
However, his newly-appointed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has in the past described Kim as a “dictator.”
Trump’s administration is said to be weighing the possibility of reopening “direct talks” with Kim.
During his presidency, Trump made history as the first US president to visit North Korea in decades.