Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested he would be open to speaking with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as the nation moves further toward obtaining nuclear capability.
Kim recently offered to enter into talks with the United States while threatening to destroy South Korea during the closing of his Workers’ Party congress in Pyongyang on Wednesday.
The Independent reported that Kim claimed that with nuclear weapons, the nation could “completely destroy” South Korea if threatened.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claimed his nuclear-armed country could “completely destroy” South Korea if its security were threatened, reiterating his refusal to engage with Seoul, state media said Thursday. However, he left the door open to dialogue with Washington as he concluded a ruling party congress outlining his policy goals for the next five years.
The official Korean Central News Agency said that Kim also called for developing new weapons systems to bolster his nuclear-armed military, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that could be launched from underwater and an expanded arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons, such as artillery and short-range missiles, targeting South Korea.
He said the accelerated development of his nuclear and missile program “permanently cemented” the country’s status as a nuclear weapons state, and called for the United States to discard what he perceives as “hostile” policies toward the North as a precondition for resuming long-stalled dialogue.
The Workers’ Party congress, which began last Thursday in Pyongyang, comes as Kim carves out a more forceful regional presence, leveraging his expanding military nuclear program and a growing alignment with Moscow that have deepened his standoffs with Washington and Seoul.
Met with the family members of the Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea. As @POTUS reaffirmed, the United States supports Japan in its call to immediately resolve the abductions issue, and we denounce North Korean human rights abuses. pic.twitter.com/BwQkrdkRTJ
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) October 28, 2025
Kim declared that North Korea maintains the “toughest stance” against Washington but said there was “no reason we cannot get along” if the U.S. stops its “hostile policy” toward the regime.
Rubio on Wednesday signaled that the White House might be open to dialogue with the North Korean regime. "The United States is always ready to converse with representatives from any government that wishes to share information or perspectives with us. That is part of my role,” he said.
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Rubio also said the administration is “consistently open to listening.”
President Donald Trump met with Kim Jong Un three times during his first term, an action none of his predecessors had taken. The first historic summit took place in Singapore in 2018 where the two leaders issued a joint statement committing to improved relations and denuclearization efforts.
The second planned meeting collapsed when Trump rejected Kim’s offer to dismantle the Yongbyon nuclear facility in exchange for the full easing of sanctions. The third encounter took place in 2019 at the DMZ in Panmunjom. None of the meetings yielded a formal agreement, but for many, it was seen as a step forward.
