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By Shamim Chowdhury
Content Reporter
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has once again raised the specter of nuclear conflict, warning that his country could set off its nukes in potential confrontations with South Korea and the U.S.
His latest warning comes as tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalate, with Kim accusing the two nations of provocation and exacerbating regional hostilities.
In a speech delivered at the Kim Jong Un University of National Defense on Monday, he asserted that North Korea would "without hesitation use all its attack capabilities against its enemies," should they employ armed forces against the North. "The use of nuclear weapons is not ruled out in this case," he warned, signaling a willingness to consider preemptive nuclear action.
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Kim's comments are part of a pattern of increasingly aggressive rhetoric since he adopted a more confrontational nuclear doctrine in 2022.
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Analysts speculate that North Korea may ramp up military provocations as the U.S. presidential election approaches next month.
The North Korean leader criticized the growing military alliance between South Korea and the U.S. specifically a new deterrence guideline established in July that integrates South Korean conventional forces with U.S. nuclear capabilities.
Kim argues that such moves threaten to disrupt the balance of power on the Korean Peninsula, where South Korea remains without its own nuclear arsenal.
But experts remain skeptical about North Korea's actual nuclear capabilities, given that its military is outmatched by U.S. and South Korean forces.
Both Washington and Seoul have warned that any nuclear strike by North Korea would likely lead to the collapse of Kim's regime.
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Recent weeks have seen heightened tensions, marked by North Korea unveiling a facility for producing weapons-grade uranium and conducting missile tests.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol suggested that North Korea's announcement of this nuclear site is a ploy to attract U.S. attention ahead of the election, with the possibility of major provocations, such as a nuclear test or long-range missile launch, looming on the horizon.
Analysts believe that North Korea may aim to leverage its expanding nuclear arsenal for concessions from the U.S., including sanctions relief, following the inauguration of a new administration.
Meanwhile, North Korea's parliament was scheduled to convene on Oct. 7, though state media has not confirmed whether the meeting took place as planned.
Observers suggest that this meeting could have significant implications, potentially formalizing a hostile "two-state" system on the Korean Peninsula and solidifying South Korea as an "invariable principal enemy."
Since diplomatic efforts surrounding North Korea's nuclear program collapsed in 2019, all exchanges and cooperation initiatives between the two Koreas have remained dormant.
In a revival of Cold War tactics, North Korea has resumed launching thousands of trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea, with military officials reporting new launches across the border on Tuesday.
This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press
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