North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has warned that his military would not hesitate to use all offensive capabilities, including nuclear weapons, if South Korea tries to infringe on North Korean sovereignty, state news agency KCNA reported Friday. This threat follows remarks from South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who stated that any nuclear aggression from the North would lead to the downfall of Kim’s regime.

While such hostile exchanges are common, they come at a time of heightened tensions due to North Korea’s recent disclosure of a new nuclear facility and ongoing missile tests. Observers expect that North Korea’s upcoming parliamentary session will formally declare a “two-state” system, rejecting reconciliation with the South and establishing new territorial claims.

During a visit to a special operations unit, Kim asserted that any military action by South Korea would threaten the “permanent existence” of Seoul. He criticized Yoon’s recent Armed Forces Day speech, which showcased South Korea’s advanced missile capabilities, as an expression of “bellicose temerity” and insecurity.

Kim also referred to Yoon as “an abnormal man,” mocking his claims of military strength against a nuclear power. In his address, Yoon emphasized that North Korea’s use of nuclear weapons would provoke a “resolute and overwhelming response” from the South Korean-U.S. alliance.

Since adopting a more aggressive nuclear doctrine in 2022, Kim has threatened preemptive nuclear strikes, but many analysts believe he is unlikely to act first due to the military superiority of the U.S. and its allies. In July, South Korea and the U.S. established a defense guideline to improve military coordination in response to North Korea’s advancing nuclear capabilities.

Tensions between the Koreas are at their highest in years, fueled by North Korea’s missile tests and joint military exercises conducted by South Korea and the U.S. Diplomatic communications have been frozen since 2019, following the collapse of negotiations aimed at denuclearizing North Korea.

In January, Kim called for changes to North Korea’s constitution to remove references to peaceful unification and to designate the South as a primary enemy. He also rejected the Northern Limit Line, a maritime boundary established after the Korean War, demanding a clear definition of North Korean territorial claims that extend into South Korean waters.