North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called South Korea the regime's "primary enemy" as he vowed to protect his country with force rather than dialogue.

According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) on Friday, Kim said the regime’s national policy of occupying the territory of "the most harmful primary enemy" in the event of a contingency is a reasonable measure for the eternal safety of the country and future peace and stability.

The KCNA added that Kim also called for full-fledged combat readiness based on bolstered military strength during a visit to the defense ministry to mark the 76th anniversary of the founding of the North's Korean People's Army on Thursday.

The latest rhetoric from the regime leader comes as Pyongyang has recently abandoned its decades-long policy of officially seeking reunification with the South while scrapping all inter-Korean economic cooperation agreements.