In the event of an attack on North Korea by South Korean or American “armed forces”, the country could defend itself with nuclear weapons.
A statement coming as the two Koreas are going through one of the most tense periods in recent years.
New warning from Pyongyang in tense times. North Korea will use “without hesitation” atomic weapons in the event of an attack by South Korea and the United States, announced its leader Kim Jong Un in comments reported by the official KCNA agency. Pyongyang “will without hesitation use all offensive means at its disposal, including nuclear weapons” and “the enemy” attack the country with “armed forces”the leader underlined on Wednesday.
In this statement, Kim Jong Un refers 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.
Threat of ‘resolute and overwhelming response’ from South Korea
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 the North Korean leader would expose himself to “end of his regime” in the event of the use of nuclear weapons. The South Korean president also threatened a “resolute and overwhelming response” of its army and the Seoul-Washington alliance, tens of thousands of American soldiers being stationed in South Korea.
In response, Kim Jong Un called Yoon Suk Yeol a “puppet” and“abnormal man”reports 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.
