North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has threatened to use nuclear weapons to annihilate South Korea if attacked, according to state media reports on October 4. This warning follows South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s assertion that any nuclear aggression from the North would lead to the “end of its regime.”
The escalating rhetoric occurs amidst heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula and comes shortly after North Korean media released images of Kim visiting a uranium enrichment facility capable of producing weapons-grade nuclear materials.
During a visit to an army base in western North Korea on Wednesday, Kim stated that if South Korea disrespects the North’s sovereignty, Pyongyang would “use without hesitation all the offensive forces it possesses, including nuclear weapons,” as reported by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
“If such a situation arises, the permanent existence of Seoul and the Republic of Korea would be impossible,” he added, referring to South Korea by its official name.
Relations between the two Koreas have soured this year, with North Korea reportedly intensifying its nuclear production and strengthening ties with Russia, raising concerns in the West about the isolated nation’s trajectory.
Kim’s comments appeared to be a direct reaction to President Yoon, who showcased South Korea’s most advanced ballistic missile, the Hyunmoo-5, during an Armed Forces Day parade on Tuesday. This missile is said to be capable of penetrating North Korean underground bunkers.
Yoon warned, “If North Korea attempts to use nuclear weapons, it will face the resolute and overwhelming response of our military and the SK-US alliance,” referring to the United States as South Korea’s key military partner. He emphasized that the North Korean regime must abandon the delusion that nuclear weapons can ensure its protection.
Since the end of the Korean War in 1953, the two Koreas have remained divided, with an armistice in place but no peace treaty, leaving them technically still at war.
Last month, North Korean state media also released photos of Kim Jong Un touring a nuclear facility, offering a rare glimpse into the nation’s tightly controlled weapons program.
