North Korea: Kim says he will use atomic weapons ‘without hesitation’ if attacked (KCNA)

North Korea will use atomic weapons “without hesitation” in the event of an attack by South Korea and the United States, its leader Kim Jong Un announced in comments reported Friday by the official KCNA agency.

Pyongyang “will without hesitation use all offensive means at its disposal, including nuclear weapons” if “the enemy” attacks the country using “armed forces”, the leader stressed on Wednesday, in a context of tensions with Seoul .

Kim Jong Un in his statement referred to the alliance between Seoul and Washington, South Korea’s main military ally. The latter does not possess atomic weapons and relies on the deterrent force of its American partner.

Kim Jong Un’s remarks come as South Korea just celebrated its Armed Forces Day on Tuesday. President Yoon Suk Yeol affirmed on this occasion that Kim Jong Un would face the “end of his regime” in the event of the use of nuclear weapons. He threatened a “resolute and overwhelming response” from his military and the Seoul-Washington alliance. Tens of thousands of American troops are stationed in South Korea. Kim Jong Un, in response, called Mr. Yoon a “puppet” and an “abnormal man,” according to KCNA.

In mid-September, North Korea released images of its uranium enrichment facilities for the first time, with Kim Jong Un once again calling for the country’s nuclear arsenal to be expanded. Relations between the two Koreas are going through one of their most tense periods in recent years. Pyongyang notably announced at the beginning of August the deployment of 250 missile launchers on the border with the South.

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