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Following warnings from South Korea’s President, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has threatened to strike South Korea with Nuclear weapons if South Korea provokes them:
Let’s bring you up to speed: Earlier this week, South Korea held a military parade in which the country unveiled new strategic weapons, including an advanced ballistic missile launcher, the Hyunmoo-5, capable of carrying an 8-ton warhead. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol warned “North Korean Communists,” saying they would “face the resolute and overwhelming response of our military alliance” if North Korea ever attempted to use a nuclear weapon on South Korea. He added, “That day will be the end of the regime.”
What North Korea is saying: North Korean State-controlled media quoted Kim Jong Un saying he would deploy his military “without hesitation [and] all the offensive forces it possesses, including nuclear weapons.” He added, “If such a situation comes, the permanent existence of Seoul and the Republic of Korea would be impossible.”
Kim also called the President of South Korea an “abnormal man” and a “puppet.” He added, “the security uneasiness and irritating psychology of the puppet forces.”
Kim’s rhetoric comes as the United States and South Korea have significantly bolstered their defense partnership in response to escalating provocations and hostile rhetoric from North Korea. As part of these efforts, the US and South Korea signed a new defense agreement to better integrate their military capabilities.