In a stark escalation of rhetoric, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared on Thursday that his country holds the capability to “completely destroy” South Korea if deemed necessary. This statement marks a significant rise in tensions while simultaneously dismissing any possibility of rekindling diplomatic talks.

Addressing the Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party in Pyongyang, Kim branded South Korea as North Korea’s “most hostile enemy.” He criticized the South Korean government, accusing it of a “clumsily deceptive and crude” approach, as reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim made it clear that North Korea is prepared to take “arbitrary action” should South Korea engage in what he termed “obnoxious behavior” toward the North. This dismissive stance undermines recent attempts by Seoul to mend bilateral relations.

Emphasizing his point, Kim warned that “South Korea’s complete collapse cannot be ruled out,” according to KCNA, further intensifying the standoff between the two nations.

During the congress, Kim laid out an ambitious five-year plan focused on bolstering North Korea’s nuclear capabilities. Current estimates by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute suggest that North Korea possesses approximately 50 nuclear warheads, with sufficient fissile material to construct up to 40 additional ones. This plan underscores Kim’s commitment to expanding his country’s nuclear arsenal despite international concerns.

The country is believed to possess around 50 warheads and enough fissile material to produce up to 40 more, according to an estimate last year from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

The North Korean leader said the country’s “international status has risen extraordinarily.”

“It is our party’s firm will to further expand and strengthen our national nuclear power, and thoroughly exercise its status as a nuclear state,” Kim said, according to KCNA.

“We will focus on projects to increase the number of nuclear weapons and expand nuclear operational means.”

Kim laid out plans for North Korea to develop more advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of underwater launches, along with artificial intelligence-driven weapons systems and unmanned drones, KCNA reported.

Kim, who met with President Donald Trump three times during Trump’s first term, signaled he may be open to future negotiations with Washington but placed responsibility squarely on the United States.

“Whether it’s peaceful coexistence or permanent confrontation, we are ready for either, and the choice is not ours to make,” he said.

Kim said that if the US “withdraws its policy of confrontation” with North Korea and acknowledges the country’s “current status,” there would be “no reason why we cannot get along well with the US.”

Following the congress, Kim’s teenage daughter attended a military parade in Pyongyang on Wednesday, according to KCNA.

Ju Ae, believed to be 13 or 14, was photographed standing beside her father and senior military leaders.

Her appearance comes after South Korean media reported that Kim recently gave her a leadership role in the regime’s powerful “Missile Administration,” which oversees Pyongyang’s nuclear forces.