North Korea warns it could destroy South if threatened, but leaves door open for US dialogue

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, with his daughter, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae, inspects test-firing of ballistic missiles from an undisclosed location in North Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. AP/PTI(AP01_28_2026_000012B)

Seoul (South Korea), Feb 26 (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claimed his nuclear-armed country could “completely destroy” South Korea if its security were threatened, reiterating his refusal to engage with Seoul. However, he left the door open to dialogue with Washington as he concluded a ruling party congress outlining his policy goals for the next five years.

State media said Thursday that Kim also called for developing new weapons systems to bolster his nuclear-armed military, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that could be launched from underwater and an expanded arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons, such as artillery and short-range missiles, targeting South Korea.

He said the accelerated development of his nuclear and missile program “permanently cemented” the country’s status as a nuclear weapons state, and called for the United States to discard what he perceives as “hostile” policies toward the North as a precondition for resuming long-stalled dialogue. (AP) MPL MPL

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