North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has warned that he is prepared to deploy nuclear weapons in prospective military engagements with the United States and South Korea, according to state media, as he launched furious language against rivals he claims are bringing the Korean Peninsula to the brink of catastrophe.

Kim's speech to war veterans on the 69th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 Korean War appeared to be aimed at boosting internal unity in the poor country grappling with pandemic-related economic challenges.

North Korea Intensifies Threats Against US, South

As the allies prepare to extend their summer activities, North Korea is expected to amplify its threats against the US and South Korea. He accused the United States of demonizing North Korea to justify its aggressive activities. He said that US-South Korean military drills demonstrate the US's double standards and gangster-like behavior by labeling North Korea's normal military actions - an obvious reference to its missile testing - as provocations or threats.

Kim also referred to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol as a confrontation fanatic who has gone farther than previous South Korean presidents, and he accused Yoon's conservative administration of being driven by gangsters. Since assuming office in May, the Yoon administration has worked to enhance Seoul's military alliance with the United States and increase its capabilities to counter North Korean nuclear threats, including the ability to conduct preemptive strikes.

Kim has been aggressively threatening its enemies with his developing nuclear program this year, in what some international analysts believe is an attempt to wring exterior concessions and gain more home unity. In April, Kim stated that North Korea may deploy nuclear weapons first if threatened, adding that they would "never be constrained to the solitary duty of war deterrence." Kim's military has also tested nuclear-armed missiles capable of targeting both the US mainland and South Korea, CP24 reported.

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Kim Jong Un Orders To Prepare Nuclear Weapons

In his first public appearance in over two weeks, Kim Jong Un directed his men to ready North Korea's nuclear weapons for war. The Supreme Leader issued the decree this week, amid deteriorating ties with a new hardline administration across the border. His mobilization order ostensibly implies that North Korea's nuclear deterrent may now be deployed faster, ensuring the country is prepared for war with the US. 

Kim Jong Un slammed the incoming South Korean leadership in his fiery speech, saying any attempt to cripple the North's military infrastructure will end in devastation. The election of conservative firebrand Yoon Suk-yeol in South Korea earlier this year has presented Kim Jong-un with a new challenge, with the next President pledging to be harsher on his country's isolated neighbors.

After years of a gentler stance, President Yoon instructed the South Korean army earlier this month to punish the North fast and brutally if it conducted its first nuclear test in five years, according to Mirror. South Korea's unification minister in charge of inter-Korean affairs warned on Tuesday that a test in time for the anniversary was possible, though a military official claimed there were no immediate indicators of it.

If North Korea conducts the test, it would face further restrictions, including steps to limit its hacking capabilities, South Korea's foreign minister warned on Wednesday. In his address, Kim stated that Washington continues to engage in "dangerous, unlawful hostile activities" against the North 70 years after the war and that it strives to justify its behavior by "demonizing" the country.

The North has long accused the US of having double standards when it comes to military exercises and of adopting a hostile strategy against Pyongyang, claiming that it is impeding the restart of negotiations aimed at eliminating the country's nuclear and missile programs in exchange for sanctions relief, as per NDTV.

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