North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to continue expanding the country's nuclear program, calling it an "inevitable" necessity amid hostilities from foreign nations.

Axar.az, citing France24, reports that during a visit to a nuclear material production facility, Kim emphasized that 2025 would be a crucial year for strengthening North Korea's nuclear forces. His remarks follow Pyongyang's recent test-firing of sea-to-surface strategic cruise missiles, the first since Trump returned to the White House.

The U.S. National Security Council stated that Trump aims for North Korea's "complete denuclearization," similar to his first term. Despite crippling sanctions, Pyongyang remains committed to its nuclear ambitions, declaring itself an "irreversible" nuclear state in 2022. Analysts suggest North Korea may still seek dialogue with Washington for sanctions relief.

During his first presidency, Trump met with Kim three times and claimed they had "fallen in love." However, their second summit in Hanoi collapsed in 2019 over disagreements on sanctions. North Korea later criticized Trump for failing to achieve meaningful change despite his outreach efforts. Pyongyang now dismisses U.S. political shifts, asserting that internal divisions make little difference to its policies.