North Korea will “without hesitation” use nuclear weapons if attacked by South Korea
North Korea will “without hesitation” use atomic weapons in the event of an attack by South Korea, its leader Kim Jong Un announced, in statements released on Friday by the official news agency KCNA.
Pyongyang “will use all offensive means at its disposal, including nuclear weapons”, if “the enemy” attacks the country with “armed forces”, stressed the leader, in a context of tensions with the South.
In his statement, Kim refers to the alliance between Seoul and Washington, South Korea’s main military ally. The latter does not have nuclear weapons and relies on the deterrent force of its North American partner.
Kim’s statements come after South Korea celebrated its Armed Forces Day on Tuesday. At the time, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said that Kim would risk “the end of his regime” if he used an atomic weapon.
He threatened a “resolute and crushing response” from his army and the Seoul-Washington alliance. Tens of thousands of US troops are stationed in South Korea.
In response, Kim Jong Un described Yoon as a “puppet” and an “abnormal man”, according to KCNA.
In mid-September, North Korea published images of its uranium enrichment facilities for the first time, with Kim again expressing a desire to develop the country’s nuclear arsenal.
Relations between the two Koreas are going through one of their worst periods in recent years. In early August, Pyongyang announced the deployment of 250 missile launchers to the southern border.
