January 2, 2014 -- Updated 0803 GMT (1603 HKT)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday praised the recent purge of
his uncle and former protector, saying it brought greater unity within
the secretive, nuclear-armed state. FULL STORY
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KIM: U.S., S. KOREA 'WAR MANIACS'
North Korea's Kim Jong Un lauds purge of executed uncle Jang Song Thaek
January 2, 2014 -- Updated 0008 GMT (0808 HKT)
Kim Jong Un praises uncle's execution
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Kim Jong Un praises the effects of his uncle's execution in North Korea
- "Our single-hearted unity was solidified to the maximum," the young leader says
- Jang Song Thaek was considered instrumental in Kim's rise to power two years ago
- Kim also warns that a skirmish in the region could lead to all-out war
"In the seething period
of the effort for building a thriving country last year, we took the
resolute measure of removing the factionalists lurking in the Party,"
Kim said in a New Year's address, referring to the North's ruling
Workers' Party of Korea.
"As our Party detected
and purged the anti-Party, counterrevolutionary factionalists at an
opportune time and with a correct decision, the Party and revolutionary
ranks were further consolidated and our single-hearted unity was
solidified to the maximum," Kim said, according to the text of the
speech carried by North Korean state media.
Jang Song Thaek: From adviser to 'traitor'
Jong Un: U.S., South Korea 'war maniacs'
Was uncle executed over business trade?
The purged uncle, Jang
Song Thaek, was considered instrumental in Kim's rise to power in
December 2011 and, until recently, was regarded as the second-most
powerful figure in North Korea. But the young leader turned his back on
Jang in spectacular fashion late last year, having him executed last month on charges he tried to overthrow the government.
A publicized purge
The death of Jang, who
was married to Kim's paternal aunt, was announced in an unusually public
declaration by the reclusive regime. Purges and executions of senior
officials are believed to have taken place under the North's previous
leaders, Kim's father and grandfather, but without such public fanfare.
North Korean state media
attacked Jang's character and detailed an extensive list of his alleged
crimes, describing him as "despicable human scum."
Kim's speech Wednesday is the first time he has publicly commented on the purge.
A range of different
theories have been put forward for the real causes behind Jang's
downfall. Last week, South Korea's main intelligence agency told
lawmakers that it believed business disputes inside the North Korean regime had precipitated the purge.
Nuclear warning
In his
speech, Kim also addressed his country's strained relationship with
South Korea and the United States, warning that if war were to break out
in the region, it would spiral into a nuclear confrontation.
"The U.S. and South
Korean war maniacs have deployed legions of equipment for a nuclear war
in and around the Korean Peninsula and are going frantic in their
military exercises for a nuclear war against the North," Kim said. "This
precipitates a critical situation where any accidental military
skirmish may lead to an all-out war."
"Should another war
break out on this land," he said, "it will result in a deadly nuclear
catastrophe and the United States will never be safe."
But his words stopped
well short of the alarmingly threatening language that peppered North
Korean statements in early 2013 as tensions spiked over the regime's
nuclear test in February and the resulting U.N. sanctions.
North and South
Kim called for better
ties between the two Koreas, which have reestablished dialogue and
reopened their shared industrial complex since the rocky period in the
spring.
"A favorable climate should be established for improved relations between the North and the South," he said.
In South Korea,
President Park Geun-hye said that her government would strive to
maintain "impregnable" security and prepare for any possible
provocations by the North.
Analysts have said that the purge of Jang could be a sign of instability
inside North Korea and that Kim could seek to focus attention away from
domestic issues by carrying out a provocative act, like another new
rocket or nuclear test.
Park said the South
Korean government would "redouble its efforts to further promote peace
on the Korean Peninsula and lay the groundwork for peaceful
reunification."
CNN's K.J. Kwon contributed to this report.
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