North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said his country needs to prepare for both “dialogue and confrontation” with the US, and “especially to get fully prepared for confrontation”.
This marks the first time Mr Kim has directly commented on President Joe Biden’s administration.
North Korea had earlier snubbed efforts by the new US government to establish diplomatic communication.
The US has been calling for North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.
But Pyongyang has repeatedly refused, and the United Nations Security Council has imposed strict economic sanctions on the East Asian state for its nuclear tests.
Mr Kim made his latest remarks at a meeting of senior leaders which started this week in the capital Pyongyang.
He said they needed “especially to get fully prepared for confrontation in order to protect the dignity of our state and its interests for independent development”, as well as to guarantee a peaceful environment and North Korea’s security, according to state media outlet KCNA.
He also said North Korea would “sharply and promptly” react to any developments and “concentrate efforts on taking stable control of the situation on the Korean peninsula”.
His latest comments come days after he formally acknowledged that North Korea was facing concerns over food shortages.
Earlier this week leaders from the G7 nations, including Mr Biden, called on North Korea to abandon its nuclear and missile programme and resume dialogue.
A fraught relationship
Mr Kim’s relationship with Mr Biden’s administration has so far been fraught with tension.
Prior to the US election, Mr Biden had called Mr Kim a “thug”, and days before Mr Biden’s inauguration, North Korea put on a show of force with a massive military parade that showcased a new missile.
media captionKim Jong-un has been overseeing a huge military showcase broadcast by state media in North Korea
In April Mr Biden referred to North Korea as a “serious threat” to global security, prompting an angry response from Pyongyang which said the statement reflected Mr Biden’s intent to “keep enforcing the hostile policy” towards the country.
Washington also recently completed a review of its North Korea policy and said that the US would continue to aim for the eventual complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.
Mr Biden has promised an approach marked by diplomacy and “stern deterrence”.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that “our policy will not focus on achieving a grand bargain, nor will it rely on strategic patience”.
The US would instead pursue a “calibrated practical approach that is open to and will explore diplomacy with” North Korea, she said, adding it would focus on making “practical progress”.
Mr Kim had previously met Mr Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump on three occasions, but talks on denuclearisation eventually stalled.
Leif-Eric Easley, associate professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, summarised Mr Biden’s approach as one that coordinates North Korea policy decisions with allies, while conducting “step-by-step diplomatic engagement”.
“The administration has not offered a detailed roadmap because it wants flexibility to engage Pyongyang when and where progress can be made,” he said.
“Meanwhile, Washington will strengthen deterrence by coordinating strategies, military training, and missile defences with allies.”
He added that while some may see Mr Kim’s latest remarks as “North Korea opening the door for dialogue”, the fact remains that the country has not expressed willingness for talks on giving up its nuclear weapons.
North Korea “remains focused on domestic issues and wants to see much larger incentives from Washington”, he said.
“Pyongyang may return to negotiations only after demonstrating strength with post-pandemic economic recovery and provocative military tests.”
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