North Korea has secured the “lawful” right to “annihilate” South Korea if provoked by recently redefining its policy toward Seoul, leader Kim Jong Un said to the country’s military in a visit to the defense ministry headquarters Thursday, according to state media.

Pyongyang “secured the lawfulness of attacking and annihilating [South Korea] at any time after having set the foundation of clearly defining them by law as a hostile country,” Kim said.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said he and his daughter also attended a banquetto mark the 76th founding anniversary of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) on