Kim says North Korea military should ‘annihilate’ US and South Korea if provoked

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his military should ‘thoroughly annihilate’ the US and South Korea if provoked, state media reported, after he vowed to boost national defences (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his military should “thoroughly annihilate” the United States and South Korea if provoked, state media reported on Monday, after he vowed to boost national defences to cope with what he called an unprecedented US-led confrontation.

Mr Kim is expected to ramp up weapons tests in 2024 ahead of the US presidential election in November. Many experts believe he thinks his expanded nuclear arsenal will allow him to wrest US concessions if former president Donald Trump is re-elected.