North Korea won’t use nukes unless threatened by nuclear states: Kim Jong Un

In this frame taken from TV, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un applauds during a Workers' Party congress in Pyongyang, on May 7, 2016. (KRT via AP)

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says Pyongyang will not use nuclear weapons unless it is threatened by a nuclear state.

“As a responsible nuclear weapons state, our republic will not use a nuclear weapon unless its sovereignty is encroached upon by any aggressive hostile forces with nukes,” Kim said while addressing a rare party gathering in Pyongyang on Saturday.   

He also noted that the North would “faithfully fulfill” its non-proliferation obligations and urge for further international denuclearization.

In 2003, North Korea became the first state to leave the global Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Delegates applaud during a Workers' Party congress in Pyongyang, on May 7, 2016. (KRT via AP)

Kim added that his country was prepared to improve ties with some nations "(even) though they had been hostile in the past."

He also called for talks with South Korea to alleviate tensions and misunderstanding between to two rivaling neighbors and warned the US to steer clear from inter-Korean matters.  

His remarks came on the second day of the first Workers' Party congress to be held since 1980 when the country’s founder and Kim’s grandfather, Kim Il-sung, was still in power.

In his opening address on Friday, Kim hailed the recent nuclear and missile tests by his military as unprecedented despite global reaction to the tests which led to fresh economic sanctions against the country.

North Korean women tie flags as they decorate the streets in downtown Pyongyang, North Korea on May 7, 2016. (AP)

On January 6, North Korea said it had successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb, its fourth nuclear test, vowing to build up its nuclear program as deterrence against potential aggression from the US and its regional allies.