North Korea's Kim Jong Un Threatens South Korea, Calls for Dialogue with US

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claimed his nuclear-armed country could destroy South Korea if its security were threatened, reiterating his refusal to engage with Seoul. However, he left the door open to dialogue with Washington as he concluded a ruling party congress outlining his policy goals for the next five years. State media said that Kim also called for developing new weapons systems to bolster his nuclear-armed military, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that could be launched from underwater and an expanded arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons, such as artillery and short-range missiles, targeting South Korea. He said the accelerated development of his nuclear and missile program cemented the country’s status as a nuclear weapons state and called for the United States to discard what he perceives as hostile policies toward the North as a precondition for resuming long-stalled dialogue.