SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Pyongyang would not hesitate to launch a nuclear attack if an enemy provokes it with nuclear weapons, state media reported on Thursday.
Kim made the remark as he met with soldiers under the military’s missile bureau over its recent launching drill of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), KCNA news agency said.
“He (Kim) said that the resolute military activity conducted by the company this time … was … a clear explanation of the offensive counteraction mode and the evolution of the nuclear strategy and doctrine of the DPRK not to hesitate even a nuclear attack when the enemy provoke it with nukes,” KCNA reported.
DPRK are the initials of the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
North Korea said on Tuesday it had tested its newest ICBM on Monday to gauge the war readiness of its nuclear force against mounting U.S. hostility, drawing condemnation from the United States and its allies.
Kim said Monday’s launch demonstrated the military’s high mobility and rapid attack capability, and called for efforts to further strengthen its combat efficiency, KCNA reported.
In a separate statement, Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong condemned the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for holding a meeting over its ICBM launch, saying it was an exercise of the country’s right to self-defence.
“The UNSC should place heavy responsibility on the irresponsible behavior and act of the U.S. and the ROK, which have aggravated the tension on the Korean peninsula through all sorts of military provocations all year round,” she said.
ROK stands for South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea.
(Reporting by Soo-hyang ChoiEditing by Chris Reese and Sandra Maler)
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