SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has threatened to use nuclear weapons, accusing them of provoking North Korea and increasing hostility on the peninsula in potential conflict with South Korea and the United States. He said he once again warned that it could be used. Media reported on Tuesday.
Kim has repeatedly issued similar threats to use nuclear weapons pre-emptively, but the latest warning is a sign that outsiders believe North Korea could step up hostilities ahead of next month’s U.S. presidential election. This was done under the guidance of experts.
In a speech Monday at Kim Jong-un National Defense University, a university named after Kim Jong-un, he said North Korea “will not hesitate to use all offensive capabilities against the enemy if the enemy attempts to use force.” I guess so.” This was reported by North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency.
“In this case, the use of nuclear weapons is not ruled out,” he said.
Kim said it was necessary to fully strengthen North Korea’s nuclear readiness as South Korea and the United States strengthened their military alliance based on joint nuclear and strategic planning, and the move was an important step between Japan and the United States. He said this would increase the risk of upsetting the balance of power. Korean Peninsula.
Kim was apparently referring to new South Korea-US deterrence guidelines that the two countries signed in July to integrate South Korea’s conventional capabilities with America’s nuclear arsenal to better deal with North Korea’s evolving nuclear threat. It seems there is. South Korea does not have nuclear weapons.
Since adopting an offensive nuclear doctrine in 2022, North Korea has repeatedly vowed to use nuclear weapons first if it perceives Pyongyang’s leadership to be under threat. However, many experts doubt whether North Korea would really be able to do such a thing, as its military power is superior to that of the US and South Korean militaries. U.S. and South Korean officials have warned that any attempt by North Korea to use nuclear weapons could lead to the fall of the Kim regime.
Tensions on the Korean peninsula have deepened in recent weeks, with North Korea opening a facility that manufactures weapons-grade uranium, a nuclear material, and continuing missile tests. In a recent response to questions from The Associated Press, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol said North Korea’s disclosure of its nuclear facilities could be an attempt to get U.S. attention ahead of next month’s presidential election. He said that North Korea would likely carry out large-scale provocations such as: Nuclear test explosions and long-range missile tests.
Many analysts predict that after the new US administration takes office, North Korea is likely to use its expanded nuclear arsenal to obtain concessions from the US, such as sanctions relief.
North Korea earlier announced that a rubber-stamp parliament would be held on October 7, but as of Tuesday state media had not said whether the parliament had started as scheduled.
Officials say the parliamentary session aims to constitutionally declare a hostile “two-state” system on the Korean peninsula, formally rejecting reconciliation with South Korea and codifying new borders. It is pointed out that it is highly likely that In January, Kim ordered constitutional changes to abolish the country’s long-held goal of peaceful reunification and solidify South Korea as its “immutable main enemy.”
Since wide-ranging diplomacy between the United States and North Korea over North Korea’s nuclear program collapsed in 2019, all exchange and cooperation plans between the two Koreas have remained dormant.
Since late May, North Korea has launched thousands of balloons filled with garbage toward South Korea, reviving Cold War-era psychological operations. South Korea’s military announced Tuesday that North Korea is again launching similar balloons across the border.
