North Korea will face “self-destruction” if it ever tries to attack the South with nuclear weapons, Seoul’s defense ministry warned Tuesday, responding to Pyongyang’s recent adoption of a new nuclear law.

In a major speech last week, DPRK leader Kim Jong Un praised a new nuclear doctrine that outlines a broad range of scenarios in which the country might use weapons of mass destruction.

“We warn that should North Korea attempt to use nuclear weapons [against South Korea], it will face an overwhelming response from the U.S.-ROK alliance that will lead North Korea on the road of self-destruction,” defense