President Yoon Suk Yeol give a speech at a ceremony marking the 76th Armed Forces Day held at Seoul Air Base, south of Seoul, on Tuesday. (Yonhap)
President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday that North Korea will face the end of its regime if it attempts to use nuclear weapons, warning of a "resolute and overwhelming" response from the South Korea-US alliance.
Yoon made the remark during a speech marking the 76th Armed Forces Day, as North Korea has intensified its nuclear threats with the first public disclosure of its uranium enrichment facility last month.
"Our military will immediately retaliate against North Korea's provocations based on its robust combat capabilities and solid readiness posture," Yoon said during a commemorative ceremony at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of the capital.
"If North Korea attempts to use nuclear weapons, it will face the resolute and overwhelming response of our military and the South Korea-US alliance. That day will be the end of the North Korean regime," he added.
Yoon denounced Pyongyang for threatening South Korea with its nuclear weapons and missiles, as well as other provocations, while ignoring the suffering of its own people.
"After committing despicable types of provocations like sending trash balloons and GPS jamming attacks, they have now gone so far as to claim a 'two hostile states' theory, even denying the possibility of reunification," he said.
He urged the Kim Jong-un regime to abandon "delusions" that nuclear weapons guarantee its security, vowing to build a strong military and strengthen the security posture based on the strong alliance with the US, as well as trilateral cooperation involving Japan.
"False peace, based on the enemy's goodwill, is nothing but a mirage," Yoon said. "History has proven that the only way to safeguard peace is by strengthening our power so the enemy cannot dare challenge us."
This year's event highlighted the newly established Strategic Command, which is tasked with serving as an overarching organ with its key weapons systems to deter North Korean nuclear and missile threats.
Yoon said the command will integrate the South Korean military's advanced conventional capabilities with the US extended deterrence, which refers to America's commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons.
"The Strategic Command will become a key unit that steadfastly protects the nation and its people from North Korea's nuclear and weapons of mass destruction threats," he said.
Some 5,000 troops and 340 pieces of military equipment, including Hyunmoo surface-to-surface missiles, K9 self-propelled howitzers, and quadruped robots, were mobilized for the ceremony.
Notable among them is the Hyunmoo-5, a centerpiece of the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation, known to be able to carry a warhead weighing 8-9 tons and capable of destroying underground bunkers.
A military parade will take place in downtown Seoul later in the day, marking the second consecutive year troops have marched through the capital's center. (Yonhap)
Related Stories
MOST POPULAR