Kim Jong Un Escalates Tensions with South Korea and U.S., Threatens Nuclear Action

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has significantly escalated tensions with South Korea and the United States, issuing stark warnings and taking provocative actions. During a recent speech at a defence exhibition, Kim reminded his troops to treat South Korea as a hostile foreign enemy and emphasized that North Korea would not hesitate to attack if its sovereignty is infringed upon.

Kim’s comments follow North Korea’s revision of its constitution to define South Korea as a hostile state and the destruction of front-line road and rail links that once connected the two countries. These moves reflect Kim’s intent to abandon longstanding goals of reconciliation with the South and instead increase leverage amid a deepening stalemate in diplomacy.

In a speech at the Kim Jong Un University of National Defence, Kim warned that North Korea “will without hesitation use all its attack capabilities against its enemies if they attempt to use armed forces against North Korea,” and explicitly stated that the use of nuclear weapons is not ruled out. This warning is part of a broader pattern of threats, as Kim has repeatedly vowed to enhance North Korea’s nuclear response posture due to what he perceives as provocations from South Korea and the United States.

Analysts are concerned about the increasing risks of clashes along the tense border areas between North and South Korea, although a full-scale attack by the North is considered highly unlikely given the superior military capabilities of the U.S. and South Korean forces.

The heightened animosities also come ahead of next month’s U.S. presidential election, a period during which outside experts believe North Korea may ramp up hostilities to gain leverage. Additionally, North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament is expected to formally declare a hostile “two-state” system on the Korean Peninsula, further solidifying the division between the two Koreas.