SEOUL, South Korea: Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accused South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol of escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula to distract from domestic issues, according to North Korean state media Monday.
The tension between the two Koreas has intensified following Pyongyang’s mutual defense pact with Russia and the sending of trash-filled balloons to South Korea. These actions were in response to South Korean activists’ launches of anti-North Korea leaflets.
According to Kim Yo Jong, “Yoon and his group, plunged into the worst ruling crisis, are attempting a ’emergency escape’ through the platform of ever-escalating tensions” (KCNA). She brought up an internet petition with over a million signatures calling for Yoon’s impeachment.
Seoul’s unification ministry, responsible for inter-Korean relations, expressed regret over Kim’s comments. “The North Korean regime, which turns a blind eye to people’s livelihoods and oppresses basic human rights, should reflect on itself,” said Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesperson for the ministry.
Kim Yo Jong condemned South Korea’s recent firing drills near the border, labeling them as “inexcusable and explicit provocation.” The South Korean military resumed live-fire artillery drills near the western maritime border last month, the first time since 2018.
In response to North Korea’s trash balloon launches, South Korea announced last month that it would suspend a 2018 military agreement aimed at easing tensions. Kim Yo Jong warned that if North Korea perceives a violation of its sovereignty, its armed forces would respond immediately according to the constitution.
The ongoing exchange of provocations highlights the fragile and volatile nature of inter-Korean relations.
