North Korea’s Kim Threatens to Use Nuclear Weapons Against South Korea, US Once Again

Seoul – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has once again threatened the use of nuclear weapons in potential conflicts with South Korea and the United States, accusing them of provoking North Korea and stoking tensions on the Korean Peninsula, state media reported on Tuesday.

Kim has made numerous preemptive nuclear threats before, but his latest warning comes as experts suggest North Korea may escalate hostilities ahead of next month’s U.S. presidential election.

During a speech on Monday at “Kim Jong Un University of National Defence,” Kim declared that North Korea “will not hesitate to use all of its attack capabilities against its enemies” if they attempt military actions against the country, according to the North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

“In such a case, the use of nuclear weapons is not ruled out,” he added.

Kim stressed that North Korea’s nuclear response posture must be fully strengthened, citing South Korea and the United States’ efforts to enhance their military alliance through joint nuclear and strategic planning. He claimed these moves could destabilize the balance of power on the Korean Peninsula.

Kim appeared to reference the new South Korea-U.S. deterrence guidelines signed in July, which aim to integrate South Korea’s conventional military capabilities with U.S. nuclear weapons to better counter North Korea’s growing nuclear threats. South Korea itself does not possess nuclear weapons.

Since adopting a more aggressive nuclear doctrine in 2022, North Korea has repeatedly vowed to use nuclear weapons first if it perceives the Pyongyang leadership is under threat. However, many experts doubt North Korea would act on these threats, as its military is significantly outmatched by U.S. and South Korean forces.

Officials from both the U.S. and South Korea have warned that any attempt by North Korea to use nuclear weapons would lead to the collapse of Kim’s regime.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have intensified in recent weeks, with North Korea unveiling a facility for producing weapons-grade uranium—a critical nuclear component—and continuing its missile tests. In a recent interview with The Associated Press, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol suggested that North Korea’s disclosure of this facility was likely aimed at drawing U.S. attention ahead of the upcoming presidential election. He predicted that North Korea would likely carry out major provocations, such as a nuclear test or a long-range missile launch.

Many analysts believe that North Korea will try to leverage its expanded nuclear arsenal for concessions, such as sanctions relief, after the inauguration of a new U.S. administration.

North Korea had earlier announced that its rubber-stamp parliament would convene on October 7. However, as of Tuesday, state media had not confirmed whether the meeting had begun as planned.

Observers believe the parliament meeting was intended to constitutionally establish a hostile “two-state” system on the Korean Peninsula, formally rejecting reconciliation with South Korea and solidifying new national borders.

In January, Kim ordered a constitutional rewrite to eliminate the long-standing state goal of peaceful Korean unification and to declare South Korea an “invariable principal enemy.”

All exchange and cooperation programs between the two Koreas have remained frozen since broader U.S.-North Korea nuclear diplomacy collapsed in 2019.

Since late May, North Korea has revived a Cold War-style psychological campaign, launching thousands of balloons carrying trash across the border into South Korea. On Tuesday, South Korea’s military reported that North Korea had once again sent these balloons into its territory.