N. Korean leader defies Yoon's warning with vulgar attack

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un denounced and dismissed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's Armed Forces Day speech, which warned of the regime's end if it attempts nuclear weapons, launching a direct and vulgar verbal assault on Yoon in response.

Kim's criticism, reported by North Korean state media on Friday, came during his Wednesday inspection of a special operations training base in the western region, just a day after South Korea marked its Armed Forces Day with a showcase of advanced weaponry.

Kim specifically denounced Yoon's warning that North Korea would face a "resolute and overwhelming response from our military and the Korea-US alliance" if it used nuclear weapons, with Yoon adding, "That day will be the end of the North Korean regime."

"The enemies' threatening rhetoric, action, trick and attempt did not check the DPRK’s powerful military strength and will not take away our nuclear weapons forever," an English-language report from the state-run Korean Central News Agency quoted Kim as saying.

"‘If’ the enemy, seized with extreme foolishness and recklessness, attempt to use armed forces encroaching upon the sovereignty of the DPRK, full of excessive ‘confidence’ in the ROK-US alliance in disregard of our repeated warnings, the DPRK would use without hesitation all the offensive forces it has possessed, including nuclear weapons," the KCNA report added.

The ROK and the DPRK refer to the official names of South and North Korea, respectively: the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Kim also insulted Yoon, calling him an "abnormal man" and a "puppet."

This marked the first time in over two years that Kim has directly criticized Yoon by name, the last instance being in his speech on North Korea's "Day of Victory" in July 2022.

On Thursday evening, Kim Jong-un's younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, also issued a press statement denouncing South Korea's display of the Hyunmoo-5 missile and the flyover of a US strategic bomber during the Armed Forces Day event, as well as South Korea's establishment of a Strategic Command on the same day.

The Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missile, capable of carrying an 8-ton conventional warhead -- touted by South Korea as the largest of its kind -- was showcased during the Armed Forces Day parade at a Seoul air base. The event featured around 5,300 troops, 340 types of military equipment as well as aerial flyovers, including a US B-1B strategic bomber making its first-ever appearance at the celebration.

"Though the head of our state put a precondition of the word 'if,' he re-clarified the stand to use all the offensive forces of the country without hesitation if the ROK attempts a military confrontation with the DPRK, being overconfident of the ROK-US alliance," Kim Yo-jong said in her press statement.

Kim Yo-jong also denounced Yoon’s speech, directly mentioning his name several times.

"The confrontation outcry, raised by Yoon Suk Yeol with war fever this time, is no more than a last-ditch scream of a guy at death's door," she added.

Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the government-funded Korea Institute for National Unification, pointed to the rationale behind the consecutive statements from Kim Jong-un and his sister.

"The leader and his closest confidant personally delivered these messages, underscoring the gravity of their words and the regime's intent to create a psychological barrier against the impact of South Korea’s Oct. 1 Armed Forces Day event," Hong said.

"There is a possibility that North Korea feared the inflow of information about South Korea's Armed Forces Day could cause unrest among its citizens or distort perceptions, especially regarding the notion that South Korean and US military assets might be stronger than North Korea's own weapons."

Hong pointed out, "Both Kim Jong-un and Kim Yo-jong expressed a shared concern that South Korea, overly confident in the Korea-US alliance, might attempt to infringe upon North Korea's sovereignty -- whether by violating its territory, waters, or airspace -- or seek military confrontation."

"The statements were likely intended as preemptive warnings to deter South Korea from encroaching on North Korean territory or resorting to military action during periods of heightened territorial tension following the Oct. 7 constitutional amendment," Hong said.

The Unification Ministry on Wednesday projected that North Korea would further solidify its hostile stance toward inter-Korean relations by enshrining it in constitutional amendments at the upcoming parliamentary session on Monday, potentially including new clauses defining the North Korean territory.