Kim Jong Un’s sister warns of ‘horrible penalties’ in US battle video games risk
Kim Yo Jong said the US-South Korea drills undermine regional stability at a time when the global security structure is “collapsing rapidly”
Kim Yo Jong, North Korean despot Kim Jong Un’s sister, has sparked fresh fears of a global flare-up(Image: KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty Image)
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has sparked fresh fears of a global flare-up after threatening the West with “terrible consequences” over new military war games.
The sharp-tongued official stuck the boot into the United States and South Korea on Tuesday, just 24 hours after they launched their massive Freedom Shield exercise. The 11-day blitz involves thousands of troops and comes at a time when Washington is already tied up with an escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Without directly mentioning the war in Iran, Kim said that the drills destabilise regional stability at a time when the global security structure is “collapsing rapidly and wars break out in different parts of the world due to the reckless acts of outrageous international rogues.”
Freedom Shield is one of two annual command post exercises carried out by the militaries of the United States and South Korea. The largely computer-simulated drills are designed to test the allies’ joint operational capabilities, incorporating evolving war scenarios and security challenges. Freedom Shield will be accompanied by a field training programme called Warrior Shield.
Referring to the country’s expanding nuclear programme, Kim Yo Jong said that North Korea will continue to strengthen its “destructive power” against perceived external threats and “constantly and repeatedly convince the enemies of our war deterrence and its fatality.”
North Korea has consistently depicted the allies’ joint exercises as rehearsals for invasion, often using them as an excuse to escalate its own military displays or weapons tests. The allies maintain that the exercises are purely defensive.
In the meantime, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung conceded that some US “air defence weapons” based in South Korea could be relocated, but insisted that such moves wouldn’t significantly weaken defences against North Korea. His remarks followed media speculation that the United States was transferring some Patriot missile defence systems and other equipment from South Korea to support operations in the Middle East.
Speaking during a cabinet meeting, Lee said: “Our government has expressed opposition to such moves, but it’s also an undeniable reality that we cannot fully control the situation according to our wishes.” Last week, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry labelled the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran as an “illegal act of aggression” executed under the guise of “fake peace.”
Amid a prolonged diplomatic stalemate with Washington and Seoul, Kim Jong Un has increasingly shaped his foreign policy around the concept of a new Cold War, strengthening ties with Moscow and Beijing, whilst presenting Pyongyang as part of a united front against Washington.
Pyongyang and Tehran were amongst the handful of governments to back Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale war in Ukraine, with both nations accused of providing Russia with military hardware. Beyond ammunition and rockets, North Korea has also dispatched thousands of troops to battle alongside Russian forces.
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