North Korea leader Kim threatens to use nuclear weapons against the South if attacked

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country would not hesitate to use all available offensive forces including nuclear weapons if the enemy attempted to use force to encroach on its sovereignty, state news agency KCNA reported Friday.

Kim criticized South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for threatening to end the North Korean regime at a military day event on Tuesday, saying the comment showed which side was destroying regional security and peace.

Kim said Yoon “bragged about overwhelming counteraction of military muscle at the doorstep of the state possessed of nuclear weapons and it was a great irony that caused the suspicion of being an abnormal man,” KCNA reported.

“He affirmed that ‘if’ the enemy, seized with extreme foolishness and recklessness, attempt to use armed forces encroaching upon the sovereignty of the DPRK ... the DPRK would use without hesitation all the offensive forces it has possessed, including nuclear weapons,” KCNA added.

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DPRK is short for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name. KCNA said Kim made the comments at a training base of army special operation units on Wednesday.

North Korea has for decades pursued a nuclear weapons program and is believed to have enough fissile materials to build dozens of such weapons. It has conducted six underground nuclear detonation tests.

On Tuesday, South Korea marked the annual armed forces day with a military parade showcasing a ballistic missile capable of carrying a massive warhead. The parade also featured a flypast of a U.S. bomber.

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In a speech, Yoon warned Pyongyang against using nuclear weapons, saying that would be met with “a resolute, overwhelming response from our military and the U.S. alliance.”

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“That day will see the end of the North Korean regime,” Yoon said.

Kim said “the enemies’ threatening rhetoric, action, trick and attempt did not check the DPRK’s powerful military strength and will not take away our nuclear weapons forever,” KCNA reported.