Kim Jong Un attempts display of power after threatening to nuke South Korea 'without hesistation'

The dictator of North Korea has been showing off the country's military arsenal and speaking again about his willingness to use nuclear weapons if threatened

Tyrant Kim Jong Un has put on a show of North Korea's military power - days after sending a chilling message to neighbours in the south about his willingness to use nukes.

The country's official news agency showed the dictator inspecting live artillery firing by graduates of its top military academy. Kim watched cadets from O Jin U Artillery Academy in action at a secret location. During the drill he spoke again about his country’s willingness to use all available weaponry, including nuclear weapons, should he feel North Korea's sovereignty is threatened.

State media, KCNA, reported on Sunday that the dictator stressed the importance of 'constantly training the guerrilla war tactics to wipe out the enemies through rapid mobile and surprise operations'. It comes just two days after Kim threatened to use nuclear weapons and destroy South Korea permanently and 'without hesitation' if provoked.

"If such a situation comes, the permanent existence of Seoul and the Republic of Korea would be impossible," Kim said, using South Korea's official name. There have been heightened tensions in recent weeks over the North's recent disclosure of a nuclear facility and missile testing. Last week, South Korea staged its own military parade where it showcased its bunker-busting 'monster' missile, fighter jets and American bombers.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said the day that North Korea tries to use nuclear weapons would be the end of the Kim government because Kim would face "the resolute and overwhelming response" of the South Korean-US alliance.

The latest images of Kim issued by state media, show him clad in his familiar leather jacket. Kim said it was Seoul and Washington who were 'destroying regional security and peace', KCNA reported, while branding South Korea's leader 'an abnormal man'.

Since 2022, Kim has repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons pre-emptively. But many foreign experts say it's still unlikely that he would use his nuclear arms first because his military is outmatched by the US and its allied forces. In July, South Korea and the US signed a deal on integrating forces to better deal with North Korea's advancing nuclear program.

Though South Korea has no nuclear weapons, the US stations tens of thousands of troops in the country. Its presence has remained since the Korean war ended in 1953 without a peace treaty.

Yoon is set to embark on a three-nation diplomacy trip that includes a stop in Laos for summits with Southeast Asian and other world leaders. He'll emphasise that North Korea's nuclear disarmament is essential to regional peace.

"At the upcoming ASEAN-related summits, I will stress the importance of denuclearisation of North Korea, which is a prerequisite for realising a free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region," Yoon said.

'This will serve to send a clear message that the international community will never condone North Korea's reckless actions," reports the Mail.

Animosities between the Koreas are at the worst point in years with Kim's provocative run of missile tests and the South Korean-US military exercises intensifying in a cycle of tit-for-tat. All communication channels and exchange programs between the rivals remain stalled since 2019, when a broader US-North Korea diplomacy on ending the North's nuclear programme collapsed.

In January, Kim called for rewriting North Korea's constitution to eliminate the idea of a peaceful unification between the war-divided countries and to cement the South as an "invariable principal enemy."

Observers think North Korea's parliament will constitutionally declare a hostile "two-state" system on the Korean Peninsula to formally reject reconciliation with South Korea and codify new national borders.

Many foreign experts say North Korea eventually hopes to use an expanded nuclear arsenal as leverage to win outside concessions like sanctions relief, after a new US president is elected. Both North and South Korea will be paying keen attention to the outcome of the next US elections.

Kim likely thinks a win by Republican candidate Donald Trump would increase his chances to get what he wants rather than Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, says observers. But Yoon said the alliance is 'ironclad' regardless of the outcome.

Since late May, North Korea has launched thousands of rubbish-carrying balloons toward South Korea, prompting South Korea to resume anti-Pyongyang propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts at border areas.