Kim Yo Jong warns of heightened tensions amid US military moves
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, announced the intensification of actions threatening the security of their adversaries at a strategic level. According to Yonhap News Agency, authorities in Seoul described these remarks as "reckless."
In her speech, cited by government media in Pyongyang, Kim Yo Jong criticized the arrival of the American aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in the port of Busan on March 2. She also addressed the presence of American nuclear submarines in the region and the joint military exercises conducted by the US with Japan and South Korea.
Kim Yo Jong claimed that the actions of Washington are an attempt to "intimidate and pressure" North Korea. She argued that US policy provides North Korea with "sufficient justification" to strengthen its own nuclear deterrence measures.
Kim Yo Jong's statement
Kim Yo Jong warned that North Korea would be compelled to "resume the record of enforcing strategic deterrence" if the US continues to demonstrate military strength.
An unnamed official from South Korea's Ministry of Unification emphasized that this statement is part of Pyongyang's "typical threats."
Kim Yo Jong, the youngest daughter of the late leader Kim Jong Il, serves as the deputy director of a department in the ruling Workers' Party of Korea. She is considered the closest confidante and advisor to her brother on foreign policy issues. Her statements are often seen as a reflection of the North Korean leader's position.
Yonhap News Agency notes that Kim Yo Jong is sometimes called the "most powerful woman in the regime" and the "rising star of North Korea," with some experts considering her "the most dangerous woman in the world." Authorities in Seoul regarded her recent comments as "reckless."
