On Tuesday, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said North Korea opposes war but would use nuclear weapons if South Korea attacks.

“But if South Korea, for any reason – whether or not it is blinded by misjudgement opts for such military action as ‘preemptive strike’ touted by (Suh Wook), the situation will change. In that case, South Korea itself will become a target,” she added. She added. “If the South Korean military violates North Korean territory, it will face an unimaginably terrible disaster, and the North’s nuclear combat force will inevitably have to carry out its duty.” 

Kim Yo Jong, a senior official in the government and the ruling party, said it was a “very big mistake” for South Korea’s defence minister to make recent remarks discussing attacks on the north, state news agency KCNA reported.

On Friday, South Korean Defence Minister Suh Wook said his country’s military has a variety of missiles with significantly improved range, accuracy, and power, with “the ability to accurately and quickly hit any target in North Korea.”

Both Koreas have increased displays of military strength after North Korea test-fired a range of increasingly powerful missiles.

Officials in Seoul and Washington also fear it may be preparing to resume testing nuclear weapons for the first time since 2017 amid stalled negotiations.

Ms Kim and another North Korean official issued earlier statements on Sunday condemning Mr Suh’s remarks and warned that Pyongyang would destroy major targets in Seoul if the South took any “dangerous military action” such as a preemptive strike.

(Reuters/NAN)