Seoul says N. Korea will self-destruct if it uses nukes

GBNEWS24DESK//

South Korea on Tuesday warned North Korea that using its nuclear weapons would put it on a “path of self-destruction,” in unusually harsh language that came days after North Korea legislated a new law that would allow it to use its nuclear weapons pre-emptively, reports The Associated Press.

North Korea will likely be infuriated by the South Korean rhetoric as Seoul typically shuns such strong words to avoid raising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Despite North Korea’s increasingly aggressive nuclear doctrine, some experts say the country – outgunned by more superior U.S. and South Korean forces – will still unlikely use its nuclear weapons first.

South Korea’s Defence Ministry said the legislation would only deepen North Korea’s isolation and prompt Seoul and Washington to “further strengthen their deterrence and reaction capacities.”

To deter North Korea from using its nuclear weapons, the ministry said South Korea will sharply boost its own pre-emptive attack plan, missile defence and massive retaliation capacities while seeking a greater U.S. security commitment to defend its ally with all available means, including nuclear one.

“We warn that the North Korean government would face the overwhelming response by the South Korea-U. S. military alliance and go on the path of self-destruction, if it attempts to use nuclear weapons,” Moon Hong Sik, an acting ministry spokesperson, told reporters.