Kim Yo-jong of North Korea Condemns South Korea-U.S. Joint Drills, Warns of "Horrific Consequences"

Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the North Korean Workers' Party, issued a stern warning on March 10 regarding the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise "Freedom Shield (FS)," stating, "The military show of force by hostile forces could potentially result in unimaginably horrific consequences."

Yonhap News

According to the Korean Central News Agency, Deputy Director Kim released a statement titled "Our Country's Determination to Defend Peace and Security on the Korean Peninsula and in the Region is Firm" on this day. In the statement, she said, "The enemies must never attempt to test our patience, determination, or capabilities," making her position clear.

She mentioned both the situation in the Middle East and the joint South Korea-U.S. military exercise that began the previous day, saying, "At this critical moment, the global security framework is rapidly collapsing and conflicts are breaking out everywhere due to the reckless actions of ruthless international bullies." She further warned, "The war drills being carried out forcefully by the United States and South Korea in Korea will only further destabilize the region." She also characterized the FS exercise as "most certainly a provocative and aggressive war demonstration planned and simulated by those seeking confrontation with our country," and strongly criticized it.

Deputy Director Kim stated, "Given the recent global geopolitical crisis and multiple international events, (omitted) there is no distinction between defense and offense, nor between drills and actual warfare in any military activity." She added, "This clearly demonstrates that it must be suppressed with an overwhelmingly superior and preemptive ultra-powerful offensive, rather than reciprocal or proportionate response."

She went on to say, "We will manage strategic threats to national and regional security with the responsible exercise of deterrence, including all available special means and destructive power that must be overwhelming." She added, "We will maintain formidable destructive power so that the enemy cannot even dare to confront us, and will firmly defend the peace of our country."

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