Kim has recently posed for photographs which
show him apparently testing new weapons,
chatting to fighter pilots or directing strategy. He said: “Gone forever is the era when the
United States blackmailed us with nukes; now
the United States is no longer a source of
threat and fear for us and we are the very
source of fear for it.” General Pak Yong-sik of the Korean People’s
Army added: “The past Korean War brought
about the beginning of the downhill turn for the
US, but the second Korean war will bring the
final ruin to US imperialism.” The celebrations of the 62nd anniversary
included speeches, flag ceremonies and
traditional dance performances. Kim paid his respects by visiting Kumsusan
Palace of the Sun where the embalmed bodies
of his father Kim Jong-il and state founding
grandfather Kim-Il-sung lie in state, according
to the Korean Central News Agency. The secretive leader has reportedly had more
than 70 officials killed since he came to power.