Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has issued a warning that her country will increase military displays in reaction to the recent agreement between South Korea and the United States to strengthen nuclear deterrence against threats from Pyongyang.
State media reported her remarks on Saturday, emphasizing that the new agreement will only exacerbate the situation and displays “extreme” hostility towards North Korea. According to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim Yo Jong stated that North Korea is now convinced of the need to further develop a “nuclear war deterrent.” She added, “The more the enemies are dead set on staging nuclear war exercises and the more nuclear assets they deploy in the vicinity of the Korean peninsula, the stronger the exercise of our right to self-defense will become in direct proportion to them.” She also criticized the US-South Korea agreement for increasing the risk to peace and security in Northeast Asia and the world.
Kim Yo Jong also directed words toward US President Joe Biden, calling him “too miscalculating and irresponsibly brave” for his warning that North Korean nuclear aggression would lead to the end of the Kim regime. She urged Biden to “be prepared” for significant consequences following his threatening rhetoric. However, she did not provide specific details about North Korea’s planned actions.
This comes after South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and President Biden signed the Washington Declaration, which aims to reinforce the US nuclear umbrella over South Korea amid growing concerns about Pyongyang’s aggression. The declaration includes the “regular deployment of strategic assets,” such as the first South Korean port visit by a US nuclear ballistic submarine in decades.