Seoul

North Korea will use its nuclear weapons to “annihilate” the South Korean army if they ever launch a pre-emptive strike, King Jong-un’s sister said on Tuesday, according to state media.

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She said that her country’s "primary mission" is to build nuclear forces as a deterrent, and added that if an armed conflict breaks out, such weapons will be used for “eliminating the enemy's armed forces at a strike”.

Kim Yo-jong’s sharp retort came in response to South Korea’s defence minister Suh Wook who last week discussed Seoul’s ability to “accurately and quickly hit any target in North Korea” with a range of weapons, in the wake of North’s recent resumption of long-range missile tests.

In another statement directed toward Suh on Sunday, she called him a “scum-like guy” and warned that South may face a “serious threat” because of his comments, reported AFP news agency.

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Kim Yo-jong, who reportedly holds several senior positions in the government and the ruling party, said that the North has no intention to start a second Korean war, but if provoked, they will leave the South’s military in a state of “total destruction and ruin”.

The flurry of exchanges between the two Korean nations comes in the backdrop of North Korea launching a series of ballistic missile tests, raising concerns among the South Korean establishment and the West.

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So far, the South Korean government has not responded to her comments made on Tuesday.

Seoul had issued a low-key response following Kim’s earlier comments on Sunday, urging Pyongyang to refrain from further raising tensions and return to dialogue.

(With inputs from agencies)