North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated that his nation would employ nuclear weapons “without hesitation” if attacked by South Korea and its ally, the United States, according to reports from state media.
Relations between the two Koreas are at one of their lowest ebbs in decades, with South Korea recently conducting a military parade that featured its bunker-busting “monster” missile. President Yoon Suk Yeol warned Mr. Kim that the use of nuclear weapons would signify the end of his regime.
North Korea has also been targeting the South with balloons carrying bags of trash, with a new batch spotted floating over Seoul this morning. The South Korean military confirmed that it had detected the balloon launches overnight.
Mr. Kim indicated that if enemy forces were “encroaching upon the sovereignty” of the North, it would “use without hesitation all the offensive forces it has possessed, including nuclear weapons,” as reported by the official Korean Central News Agency.
In his remarks, he criticized Mr. Yoon for his “end of regime” statements and for “clamouring” about the alliance with the United States.
South Korea, which does not possess nuclear weapons, is protected by the US nuclear umbrella, with Washington stationing tens of thousands of troops in the country since the Korean War ended in 1953 without a peace treaty.
Kim Jong Un criticized comments from South Korea regarding the North Korean regime’s demise (File image)
According to KCNA, Mr. Kim accused South Korea and the US of “destroying regional security and peace,” referring to the South’s leader as “an abnormal man.”
Military parade
During the military parade on Tuesday, fighter jets flew over downtown Seoul, and tanks moved through the streets as South Korea showcased its most formidable ballistic missile, the Hyunmoo-5, capable of demolishing underground bunkers.
An American B-1B heavy bomber also flew over the ceremony, escorted by F-15K jets.
The US regularly deploys nuclear assets to the Korean peninsula, reaffirming its commitment to protecting South Korea from the North’s escalating threats.
South Korean attack helicopters releasing flares during a military event
At the ceremony celebrating South Korea’s Armed Forces Day, Mr. Yoon asserted that if the North “attempts to use nuclear weapons, it will face a resolute and overwhelming response from our military and the alliance of the US and the Republic of Korea.”
“That day will mark the end of the North Korean regime,” he added.
Next week, North Korea is expected to revoke a significant inter-Korean agreement established in 1991 at a parliamentary meeting, as stated by South Korea’s unification ministry, aligning with Mr. Kim’s objective to officially label the South as an enemy state.
Earlier this year, Mr. Kim advocated for the removal of unification-related clauses from the constitution and the abolishment of agencies focused on fostering ties with the South.
Last month, the North revealed images of a uranium enrichment facility for the first time, featuring its leader touring the site and calling for additional centrifuges to enhance the country’s nuclear capabilities.
Subsequently, South Korea’s intelligence agency suggested that the unprecedented disclosure was “directed at the US,” estimating that North Korea might be capable of producing a double-digit number of nuclear weapons.
Last week, a politician informed reporters that the National Intelligence Service had cautioned that the North could conduct another nuclear test—its seventh—after the US elections in November.
