Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered his military to “thoroughly annihilate” the United States and South Korea if a confrontation breaks out.

This order was given amid a surge in North Korea’s weapons testing and heightened military cooperation between the US and South Korea. Kim’s directive, as reported by the Korean Central News Agency, came during a meeting with top commanding officers in Pyongyang, where he stated, “If the enemy opts for military confrontation and provocation against the DPRK, our army should deal a deadly blow to thoroughly annihilate them by mobilizing all the toughest means and potentialities without [a] moment’s hesitation.”

Kim’s rhetoric was reiterated during a significant policy-setting meeting. He accused the US of presenting “various forms of military threat” and firmly closed the door on reconciliation with South Korea, pointing to an “uncontrollable crisis” caused by the allies.

In response, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol vowed to strengthen military capabilities in his New Year’s Day address, aiming for “genuine, lasting peace through strength.”