North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised the nation's "absolute status and security" in a speech commemorating the 77th anniversary of the North's founding, state media reported Wednesday.

SEOUL, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised the country's "absolute status and security" in a speech commemorating the 77th anniversary of the North's founding day, state media reported Wednesday.

"The cause of building a powerful country ... is being reviewed proudly now that our state has attained a remarkable status," Kim said at a ceremony in Pyongyang on Tuesday, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

"Now no one, by whatever means, can do harm to the absolute status and security of our state, and no force can reverse the powerful current towards an era of prosperity, which we have created by ourselves," he said.

While Kim did not mention nuclear weapons explicitly, the remarks appear to be a reference to the country's growing nuclear and missile arsenal, which Pyongyang frequently touts as a core element of its sovereignty and prestige.

Kim's speech comes a day after state media reported on his visit to a chemical research center to oversee the final test of a new solid-fuel engine for use in intercontinental ballistic missiles.

He said the carbon fiber engine "heralds a significant change in expanding and strengthening the nuclear strategic forces of the DPRK," using the official acronym for North Korea.

Kim also paid tribute to overseas North Koreans in his founding day remarks, singling out the troops who have been deployed to Russia to aid Moscow in its war against Ukraine.

"I extend a warm militant salute to the generals, officers and soldiers of our army, who have been dispatched for overseas military operations," Kim said.

According to Seoul's National Intelligence Service, North Korea has sent weapons and some 15,000 troops to Russia since 2024, primarily to help recapture lost territory in Kursk Province from Ukrainian forces.

The NIS said last week that around 2,000 of the dispatched North Korean soldiers have been killed so far. The spy agency added that Pyongyang is planning to send another 6,000 soldiers, with an additional 1,000 combat engineers already in Russia.