North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country would use all means of attack, including nuclear weapons, if its sovereignty was violated.
This was Mr. Kim's statement during an inspection of a training base of special operations units earlier this week.
On October 4, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted Mr. Kim as calling on the North Korean military to continue building its strength. Mr. Kim assessed that the North's special operations forces are the "key and core force" of the country's deterrence and combat capabilities, and emphasized the need to expand and strengthen the special operations forces into the country's strongest fighting force.
Kim Jong Un's remarks came as South Korea and the United States are conducting naval exercises in the waters east of the Korean Peninsula. The exercises are aimed at enhancing the ability of the two countries' naval forces to coordinate operations. North Korea has long expressed concern about joint South Korea-US exercises, considering them a threat to its security.