North Korea has adopted a law on a nuclear strike in the event of a threat to Kim Jong-un

The Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK has passed a law that allows for an automatic nuclear strike in the event of a threat to the life of the country's leader, Kim Jong-un. This was reported on May 10 by the Yonhap news agency.

"The new law allows a nuclear strike to be launched automatically and without delay in order to destroy the one who provoked the attack," the publication says.

The document assigns Kim Jong-un a unified command and all decisive powers in relation to nuclear weapons. According to the new provisions, if the nuclear forces control system or the commander himself is at risk, the weapon can be used immediately and without additional approval.

The North Korean leader also stressed that Pyongyang does not intend to resume negotiations with the United States, and called for the continuous expansion of the use of tactical nuclear weapons to enhance combat readiness.

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A conversation involving the five owners of the largest arsenals of such weapons is still unlikely.

Bloomberg reported on April 29 that Pyongyang's growing arsenal of Hwasong-series intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) will allow it to overcome the US missile defense system. In January, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said North Korea was capable of producing enough weapons-grade materials to produce 20 nuclear weapons annually.