Kim Yo-jong: "South Korea-US Insane Military Actions... Only Create Conditional North Korean Responses" (Comprehensive)

US Strategic Asset Deployment Checked... Criticism of ROK-US Joint Exercises
"Interception of Strategic Weapons in International Waters Considered Declaration of War"

Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of Korea, issued a statement opposing the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises and once again shifted the responsibility for the worsening situation.

In the statement released on the 7th through the Korean Central News Agency, Deputy Director Kim said, "We are closely monitoring the military movements of the U.S. forces and the South Korean puppet military," adding, "We are in a constant state of readiness to strike at any time with precise, swift, and overwhelming actions depending on our judgment." This is the first statement by Kim Yo-jong in 15 days since the 20th of last month, and the fourth this year.

North Korea's Kim Yo-jong

She continued, "The provocative military actions by the U.S. and South Korea, which have gone beyond the limit to an extremely frenzied trend that cannot be overlooked, along with all kinds of rhetorical expressions, undoubtedly create conditional grounds that compel us to respond in some way." This is interpreted as a reaction to the recent frequent deployment of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula, such as the B-52H (Stratofortress) long-range bomber conducting joint exercises with South Korean fighter jets over the West Sea the day before.

Kim Yo-jong also strongly opposed reports from South Korean media that John Aquilino, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Commander, stated that "if North Korea launches an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the Pacific region, it will be immediately shot down."

Regarding the report, she said, "Whether this was a genuine slip of the tongue representing the U.S. military's stance or a typical wordplay by the puppet media, the truth is unknown, but regardless of the facts or reasons, we clearly issue a prior warning," and added, "If military responses such as interception accompany our strategic weapons tests conducted in international waters and airspace outside U.S. jurisdiction without any harm to the safety of neighboring countries, this will undoubtedly be regarded as a clear declaration of war against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."

In addition, North Korea condemned the upcoming Freedom Shield joint exercises, scheduled from the 13th to the 23rd, as 'war exercises' and urged their suspension. In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry's External Reporting Office on the same day, it said, "The international community should join the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's peace-loving efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and in the region and send a clear signal to the U.S. and South Korea to immediately halt the war exercises."

The Foreign Ministry also expressed "strong regret over the irresponsible and worrisome military provocations by the U.S. and South Korea," demanding, "Cease immediately the military hostile acts that undermine peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula." Furthermore, it warned, "If the military provocations continue to be overlooked as they are now, there is no guarantee anywhere that a fierce physical clash will not occur in the Korean Peninsula region, where the vast military forces of both sides are sharply concentrated and confronting each other."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.