North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has issued a veiled threat to use nuclear weapons against South Korea if its sovereignty is breached. The warning comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

According to state media, Kim stated that North Korea would “use without hesitation all its offensive forces, including nuclear weapons” if South Korea encroaches on its sovereignty.

This declaration appears to be a direct response to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s assertion that North Korea would face regime collapse if it employs nuclear weapons.

Tensions have intensified due to North Korea’s accelerated nuclear production and deepening ties with Russia. The Korean War’s 1953 armistice, which never transitioned to a peace treaty, leaves the two nations technically at war.