Kim Jong Un calls South Korea ‘most hostile enemy,’ says North could ‘completely destroy’ it

North Korean person Kim Jong Un said Thursday that his state could "completely destroy" South Korea if it feels threatened, escalating rhetoric portion ruling retired renewed talks.

Speaking astatine North Korea’s week-long Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party successful Pyongyang, Kim labeled South Korea the "most hostile enemy" and said "the conciliatory cognition that South Korea's existent authorities advocates connected the aboveground is clumsily deceptive and crude," according to authorities media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim said North Korea "can initiate arbitrary action" if South Korea engages successful "obnoxious behavior" directed astatine his country, dismissing caller efforts by Seoul to amended relations.

"South Korea's implicit illness cannot beryllium ruled out," Kim said, according to KCNA.

North Korean person Kim Jong Un spoke during the Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party successful Pyongyang connected Feb. 23, 2026. ( Korean Central News Agency via REUTERS)

During the congress, Kim outlined sweeping five-year argumentation goals centered connected expanding North Korea’s atomic arsenal. The state is believed to person astir 50 warheads and capable fissile worldly to nutrient up to 40 more, according to an estimation past twelvemonth from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

The North Korean person said the country's "international presumption has risen extraordinarily."

"It is our party's steadfast volition to further grow and fortify our nationalist atomic power, and thoroughly workout its presumption arsenic a atomic state," Kim said, according to KCNA. "We volition absorption connected projects to summation the fig of atomic weapons and grow atomic operational means."

NORTH KOREA RELEASES IMAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR-POWERED SUBMARINE

North Korean person Kim Jong Un was re-elected arsenic wide caput during the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) successful Pyongyang, North Korea, Feb. 22, 2026. (Korean Central News Agency via REUTERS )

Kim laid retired plans for North Korea to make much precocious intercontinental ballistic missiles susceptible of underwater launches, on with artificial intelligence-driven weapons systems and unmanned drones, KCNA reported.

Kim, who met with President Donald Trump 3 times during Trump’s archetypal term, signaled helium whitethorn beryllium unfastened to aboriginal negotiations with Washington but placed work squarely connected the United States.

"Whether it’s peaceful coexistence oregon imperishable confrontation, we are acceptable for either, and the prime is not ours to make," helium said.

NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG UN'S DAUGHTER SEEN AS FUTURE SUCCESSOR: SPY AGENCY

North Korean person Kim Jong Un and his girl Kim Ju Ae attended an lawsuit to observe the New Year, successful Pyongyang, North Korea. (KCNA via Reuters)

Kim said that if the U.S "withdraws its argumentation of confrontation" with North Korea and acknowledges the country's "current status," determination would beryllium "no crushed wherefore we cannot get on good with the U.S."

Following the congress, Kim’s teenage girl attended a subject parade successful Pyongyang connected Wednesday, according to KCNA. Ju Ae, believed to beryllium 13 oregon 14, was photographed lasting beside her begetter and elder subject leaders.

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Her quality comes aft South Korean media reported that Kim precocious gave her a enactment relation successful the regime’s almighty "Missile Administration," which oversees Pyongyang’s atomic forces.

Fox News Digital's Emma Bussey, on with Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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