North Korea says it is a 'matchless nuclear weapons state'

SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- North Korea says it has become "a matchless nuclear weapons state" headed for a victory over the United States, according to its state-run media on Tuesday.

The Korea Central News Agency released an English report on the Eighth Conference of Munitions Industry held Monday in Pyongyang, where officials reviewed the progress and achievements of the state's arms development.

It is the first time that the North has revealed details of its military arms conference, an official from Seoul's Unification Ministry told reporters on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Vice Chairman of the Workers' Party's central committee Thae Jong Su, along with those who contributed to the recent launch of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, according to the KCNA report.

Thae delivered a presentation, lauding what he called a breakthrough in the "development of strategic weapons, having researched and completed the production of cutting-edge technologies and materials which had been the exclusive property of countries claiming to be military powers in the rocket sector."

Thae claimed that Pukgusong missiles could deliver strategic nuclear strikes on land and in water, while the Hwasong-12 could target the entire Pacific region and that the Hwasong-14 missile could fire a hydrogen bomb at the heart of the United States. He described the recently launched Hwasong-15 ICBM's capability to target the entire U.S. mainland by attaching a massive nuclear warhead.

He said Kim's leadership had enabled the expansion of nuclear capacity, and the "historic turning point in putting the DPRK [North Korea] on the position of a matchless nuclear weapons state and hastening the final victory in the showdown with the U.S."

The KCNA report didn't specify whether the North Korean leader had spoken at the assembly. However, it stated the "conference continues," leading to speculation that Kim's remarks could soon be published if the conference resumes.

Seoul's unification ministry said the North's arms conference appears to be an attempt to muster up unity within the regime, while flaunting the progress of its nuclear and missile development over the years.

The ministry believes the convention may date back to the years of Kim Il Sung, the founding leader of North Korea.