North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong Slams US-South Korea Military Drills, Warns of Serious Fallout
In a sharp statement from Pyongyang, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has fired back at upcoming joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States. She called the drills "reckless muscle-flexing" and warned that they could lead to "unfavorable consequences" for everyone involved.
Kim Yo Jong, who serves as vice department director in the North Korean ruling party’s Central Committee, shared her strong views through the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sunday. The exercises, known as Iron Mace, kick off on Monday and run through Friday at the US Forces Korea headquarters in Camp Humphreys, Pyeongtaek. These tabletop simulations aim to blend Washington’s nuclear assets with Seoul’s conventional forces to counter potential North Korean threats.
She didn’t hold back on the allies’ nuclear deterrence strategy either. Kim Yo Jong said North Korea sees the Iron Mace exercise as a bold "display" of confrontation if the US and South Korea push ahead knowing the risks. "Reckless muscle-flexing by the US, Japan, and South Korea in the wrong place will definitely bring unfavorable consequences," she added, highlighting her frustration with the growing military ties.
This round marks the third Iron Mace drill since its start under the Nuclear Consultative Group guidelines. Those rules came from summit talks between former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and former US President Joe Biden back in April 2023, according to Yonhap news agency. Interestingly, it will be the first such exercise under new leaders: South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump. Both have recently signaled interest in restarting dialogue with North Korea.
Adding to the mix, South Korea, the US, and Japan will also hold a separate multi-domain drill called Freedom Edge in international waters southeast of Jeju Island during the same week. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high, and these North Korea military warnings could stir up more uncertainty in the region.
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