South Korea’s recent front-line live-fire exercises were criticized by the influential sibling of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un. She called them “suicidal hysteria.” She warned Noko would take specific military action if further provoked.
Kim Yo Jong issued the warning two weeks after South Korea started drills along its volatile land and maritime boundaries with North Korea.
After a six-year hiatus that was ended due to the dissolution of a bilateral military agreement struck in 2018 to defuse tensions, South Korea has restarted live-fire drills close to the North Korean border.
Strengthening reaction capabilities in the case of enemy provocation was the objective of the exercises, which were conducted at artillery ranges approximately 3 miles from the demarcation line. Following North Korea’s return to releasing a barrage of waste-laden balloons over the border in late May, South Korea responded by suspending the whole September 19th Military Agreement last month.
Kim Yo Jong said the South Koreans were intentionally making things worse. North Korea sees the recent trilateral military exercise between the United States, South Korea, and Japan as a danger to its security. Therefore, the timing of the exercises couldn’t have been more precarious.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry spokeswoman, Koo Byoungsam, characterized Kim’s speech as an effort to sow discord inside the country, saying that North Korea had to examine its own record of human rights abuses and the global isolation it has endured as a result of its nuclear program.
A ceasefire in all hostile activities in border regions, including live-firing exercises, aerial surveillance, and psychological warfare, was mandated by the military agreement, which was struck during a brief period of reconciliation among the Koreas. Because of the animosity that has grown between the two Koreas since North Korea launched a spy satellite in November, the accord was already on the brink of failure.
