SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un, issued harsh condemnation of ongoing US-South Korea military exercises on Tuesday, warning of severe retaliation for any threats to North Korea’s security.
Her statement followed the launch of the allies’ 11-day Freedom Shield training exercise involving thousands of military personnel, occurring as Washington faces mounting conflicts in the Middle East.
While avoiding direct mention of Middle East warfare, Kim characterized the US-South Korea exercises as destabilizing regional peace during a period when global security frameworks are “collapsing rapidly and wars break out in different parts of the world due to the reckless acts of outrageous international rogues.”
The Freedom Shield operation represents one of two yearly command-post training exercises between American and South Korean forces. These predominantly computer-based simulations evaluate combined operational readiness while addressing emerging warfare scenarios and security threats. The exercise runs alongside field training known as Warrior Shield.
Referencing her nation’s growing nuclear capabilities, Kim Yo Jong declared North Korea would continue strengthening its “destructive power” against perceived external dangers and “constantly and repeatedly convince the enemies of our war deterrence and its fatality.”
Pyongyang has consistently characterized these allied training exercises as preparation for invasion and frequently uses them to justify escalating its own military activities or weapons testing. US and South Korean officials maintain these drills serve defensive purposes.
Last week, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry condemned American and Israeli strikes against Iran as an “illegal act of aggression” conducted under false pretenses of “fake peace.”
During an extended diplomatic standoff with Washington and Seoul, Kim Jong Un has increasingly positioned his international strategy around Cold War-style confrontation, strengthening relationships with Moscow and Beijing while presenting Pyongyang as part of an anti-American coalition.
Both North Korea and Iran joined the limited group of nations backing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Ukrainian invasion, with both countries facing accusations of providing military supplies to Russia.
