ISTANBUL

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the country would use nuclear weapons if enemies attempt to use armed forces encroaching upon Pyongyang sovereignty, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Friday.

Kim made these remarks during an inspection of a special operations training base earlier this week.

He emphasized that no external threats or military actions would strip Pyongyang of its nuclear capabilities, asserting that the nation has "irreversibly secured its absolute strength as a nuclear power," with both the system and the means to utilize it, according to the KCNA.

Kim further warned that any military conflict with a nuclear-armed state would be disastrous, particularly for South Korea, noting that "the permanent existence of Seoul and the Republic of Korea would be impossible" should such a conflict occur.

He added that relying on luck for survival in a nuclear confrontation would be "a foolish mistake," KCNA reported.

Kim previously criticized South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, describing him as an "abnormal man" following Yoon’s recent remarks on military deterrence against North Korea.

During a ceremony for Armed Forces Day of South Korea on Tuesday, President Yoon warned that any nuclear provocation by North Korea would result in the end of its regime, promising a "resolute and overwhelming" response from the South Korea-US alliance.