Kim Yo Jong Warns US, South Korea, and Japan of “Negative Consequences” Over Joint Military Drills
Kim Yo Jong warned that joint military exercises between the US, South Korea and Japan could have “negative consequences.” REUTERS
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has warned that upcoming joint military exercises involving the United States, South Korea, and Japan could lead to “negative consequences,” according to a report from North Korea’s state media on Sunday.
The three countries are set to begin their annual “Freedom Edge” drills on September 15. The exercises aim to strengthen coordination in air, naval, and cyber operations in response to North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile capabilities, according to South Korea’s military.
Kim, speaking through the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), said the display of military power in the region “reminds us that the reckless display of power displayed by the US, Japan, and South Korea in the wrong places, namely around the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, will undoubtedly bring about negative consequences for themselves.”
In addition to Freedom Edge, South Korea and the US also plan to hold a separate tabletop exercise next week, dubbed “Iron Mace,” focusing on the integration of their conventional and nuclear capabilities.
In a separate KCNA statement, senior North Korean official Pak Jong Chon warned that if what he called “hostile forces” continue with joint military displays, Pyongyang will respond with “clearer and stronger” countermeasures.
North Korea has long denounced such drills as rehearsals for invasion, often responding with missile tests. However, officials in Seoul and Washington maintain the exercises are strictly defensive in nature.
About Post Author
