North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un rang in the new year not just with his first public comments on the execution of his uncle, but a warning if war ever comes to his country again.
"Our party took firm measures to get rid of the faction of sewage that permeated the party." (Via Sky News)
"He also called for better relations with South Korea saying dark clouds of nuclear war constantly hover over the Korean Peninsula." (Via ITV)
The comments came nearly three weeks after North Korea filed anti-government charges against Jang Song-thaek and then quickly executed him. Besides being Kim's uncle, Jang was also widely considered the second most powerful man in the country. (Via Arirang)
Jang was believed to be Kim Jong-un's mentor and helped him transition into power after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il.
The decision to execute Jang only two years after the regime change saw several interpretations, from the new ruler covering up political weakness to strengthening his hold on power. (Via CNN)
The ruler also warned, "If the war breaks out again in this land, it will bring about a massive nuclear disaster and the U.S. will also never be safe. We are faced with a dangerous situation in which a small, accidental military clash can lead to an all-out war." (Via The Telegraph)
ITV noted Kim never actually said his uncle's name during the address, and the BBC did an audio/video analysis of the speech aired on state TV since you never see an audience.
The BBC noted during the 26-minute video, Kim is only shown on camera for three-and-a-half minutes. "An analysis of the audio by BBC Monitoring suggests that the same clip of applause is used several times throughout the broadcast. It is impossible to ascertain whether an audience was present or not."
