Latest news with #KimYo-jong
Korea Herald
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
North Korea's Kim Yo-jong rejects South Korea-US-Japan denuclearization pledge
Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, declared Wednesday that denuclearization is a 'dead concept,' reaffirming Pyongyang's hard-line stance as renewed calls for disarmament emerge under the second Trump administration. 'Our denuclearization is no more than a delusional fantasy,' Kim said in a statement carried by Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea. 'It is a hostile act to attempt to revive a concept that is already defunct, as it amounts to denying our sovereignty and forcing us to abandon our Constitution and system.' She added that the only viable path to security in the region lies in 'giving up unilateral attempts to alter the current status quo and instead searching for ways to avoid direct confrontation.' Her comments appeared to come in response to a joint statement released by the foreign ministers of South Korea, the United States and Japan last Thursday, which reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in line with UN Security Council resolutions. North Korea has long rejected that goal. On Feb. 18, its Foreign Ministry issued a statement describing the US denuclearization agenda under Trump's second administration as 'shortsighted' and 'an outdated and unrealistic plan.' While the message remains largely unchanged, experts say Kim's direct involvement adds a new layer of meaning, reflecting Pyongyang's intent to emphasize its position more forcefully at a time of renewed pressure. 'The message itself is consistent with what North Korea has repeatedly stated — that its nuclear status is tied to national sovereignty and strategic stability,' said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies. 'But issuing the statement through Kim Yo-jong, especially following the launch of Trump's second administration and the trilateral foreign ministers' statement, is a calculated move to reaffirm Pyongyang's stance with greater authority.' Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies, interpreted the statement as a high-level political message directed at Trump. 'By declaring denuclearization a dead concept and framing any attempt to revive it as a hostile act, Pyongyang once again highlights how vital the recognition — or denial — of its status as a nuclear-armed state is to the Kim Jong-un regime,' he said. Lim added that North Korea is also likely factoring in global developments such as the US-China trade dispute and Washington's mediation efforts in the Ukraine-Russia war. 'With Trump preoccupied by other major crises, Pyongyang may see little room for meaningful engagement and instead focus on entrenching its position to counter what it views as unilateral pressure,' he said. Meanwhile, Seoul reaffirmed its commitment to the denuclearization of North Korea, calling it a unified goal of the international community as reaffirmed by multiple UN Security Council resolutions. 'The international community's resolve for the North's complete denuclearization far outweighs Pyongyang's desire to be recognized as a nuclear power,' the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement released in response to Kim's remarks. The ministry urged the North to immediately halt its unlawful nuclear and missile development, which it said threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, and to return to the path of denuclearization and dialogue.
Korea Herald
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
S. Korea, US launch Freedom Shield drill, first under Trump's 2nd term
South Korea and the United States militaries on Monday kicked off their annual Freedom Shield exercise, a large-scale combined drill aimed at strengthening the allies' readiness capabilities. This year, the drill focuses on command post exercises based on computer simulations, assuming an all-out war against North Korea, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. "This year's scenario incorporates evolving North Korean tactics observed in its military activities, including the deployment of drones, GPS jamming and cyberattacks, particularly in relation to North Korea's military support for Russia," the JCS said. The exercise includes field training exercises across South Korea, with the number of outdoor maneuvers increasing to 16 from 10 last year. Approximately 19,000 South Korean troops will participate. The JCS also underscored the exercise's defensive nature, noting that member states of the United Nations Command are set to participate, while the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission will monitor the drill to ensure compliance with the 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement. The exercise drew strong criticism from North Korea, which claimed it legitimizes Pyongyang's "strongest response measures" against the US. In a statement released on Sunday, North Korea's Foreign Ministry condemned the drills as a continuation of Washington's "military hysteria," further asserting, "The US' reckless actions and irrational choices will ultimately undermine its own security." Earlier this month, Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said North Korea is seriously considering 'escalating strategic-level deterrence measures' when the USS Carl Vinson, a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, arrived at a port in Busan participate in the exercise. South Korea's military stated that it is closely monitoring North Korea for potential provocations, including intercontinental ballistic missile launches or a seventh nuclear test, in cooperation with the US. As of Monday, no unusual North Korean military activity had been detected, South Korea's Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu said during a press briefing in Seoul. The Freedom Shield exercise will run through March 20. Meanwhile, live-fire drills scheduled as part of the field training exercises have been canceled following an accident last Thursday, when two South Korean KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly dropped eight bombs on a civilian area, injuring 29 people.
Jordan News
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Jordan News
North Korean Leader Threatens to Mobilize Nuclear Submarines - Jordan News
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un emphasized the importance of strengthening the naval force during his visit to major shipbuilding docks to inspect naval shipbuilding projects and nuclear submarines, according to state media in North Korea. اضافة اعلان Kim stated during the visit that the naval power and its nuclear armament are critical to the country's sovereignty, which is bordered by the sea on both the eastern and western sides, as reported by state television KRT. Kim also mentioned that the country will not tolerate naval and underwater military activities by what he referred to as "enemies," such as the deployment of strategic assets. He added that North Korea's naval defense would not be limited to any specific region but would cover as much territory as necessary to maintain peace. Arrival of U.S. Aircraft Carrier in the Region In recent days, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, threatened to initiate provocative actions in response to the arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier in South Korea and other U.S. military activities, which she described as "hysteria of confrontation by the United States and its followers." Kim Yo-jong's warning indicates that North Korea is likely to escalate its weapon testing activities and maintain its hostile stance towards the United States, despite President Donald Trump's statement that he would seek engagement with Kim Jong-un to revive diplomacy. In an official statement reported by state media, Kim Yo-jong accused the United States of displaying "the most extreme forms of hostility and confrontation" towards North Korea by deploying the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and other powerful military assets, as well as conducting joint military drills with South Korea this year. Her statement suggests that North Korea may conduct powerful missile tests designed to target the U.S. mainland or U.S. military bases in the region, according to observers. In response, the South Korean Ministry of Defense warned that it is prepared to counter any North Korean provocations based on its strong military alliance with the United States. They described Kim Yo-jong's warning as "misleading rhetoric" aimed at justifying North Korea's nuclear development and future provocations.
Korea Herald
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
N. Korea warns S. Korea, US will pay 'horrible price' over next week's joint military drills
North Korea threatened Friday that South Korea and the United States will pay a "horrible price" for their joint military exercise slated for next week, saying the drills will soon bring a "storm" that deteriorates the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. The North's warning came a day after the militaries of the allies announced that the annual Freedom Shield exercise will kick off Monday for an 11-day run, involving computer-simulated drills and on-field training. The Korean Central News Agency said in a commentary that the annual springtime exercise by Seoul and Washington has continued to infringe on North Korea's sovereign rights and interests and worsen the regional security. "The Freedom Shield has repeatedly undergone its worst modifications, fully equipped with all malicious signs. This will soon bring a storm of aggravating the security situation to the Korean Peninsula," the KCNA said. Citing a plan by Seoul and Washington to increase the number of large-scale on-field drills to 16 this year from 10 the previous year, the North said the enemies' "war frenzy" is rising on a steep upward curve to a dangerous level. "The enemies will pay a horrible price due to their foolish and reckless war drills that will require us to take just measures of a sovereign state for self-defense as well as the toughest threatening action," the KCNA said. North Korea has long denounced the allies' joint military drills as rehearsals for an invasion and uses them as a pretext for provocations. South Korea and the US have said their exercises are defensive in nature. Last week, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned of stepped-up action in response to the latest arrival of the USS Carl Vinson, a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, in South Korea.
New York Times
06-03-2025
- General
- New York Times
South Korean Fighter Jets Mistakenly Bomb Village
A South Korean village near the North Korean border was mistakenly shelled on Thursday by two fighter jets from the South's own air force, leaving seven people injured and damaging homes and a church. The jets were taking part in a joint exercise with the United States military when each of them dropped four bombs, according to the South's military. The bombs were meant to hit a range several miles from the village, but at least one of the South Korean pilots had entered inaccurate coordinates, the military said. Two of the injured people were seriously wounded, said officials in Pocheon, a town that includes the village of Nogok, where the bombs fell. Local news outlets said none of the victims were in critical condition. The military said it was suspending all live-fire drills while an investigation was carried out. The exercise Thursday was connected to annual joint exercises, known as Freedom Shield, that the South Korean and U.S. military carry out every year, and which are set to officially begin on Monday. There was no immediate comment from the United States military. A woman in Nogok who runs a shop in her home said she was there when an 'earthquake-like' explosion rattled the village, breaking windows in her house and in neighbors' houses. Her home was 700 feet from the spot where the most serious damage was reported. Photos carried by local news outlets showed a house in the village with parts of its walls and tiled roof blown away. They also showed damage to a Catholic church, and torn branches from pine trees strewn around. The South Korean Air Force did not say how many of the eight bombs dropped had hit Nogok, which is about 20 miles from the heavily fortified North Korean border. It issued an apology and promised compensation for the victims. On Thursday, the South Korean and United States militaries said that this year's Freedom Shield exercises would begin on Monday and run for 11 days. But in recent days, they had begun smaller joint drills in connection with the main exercises. The United States has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea. The allies conduct several joint military exercises each year, calling them defensive in nature. The Carl Vinson American aircraft carrier group steamed into a South Korean port this week to join the Freedom Shield exercise. North Korea bristles at the drills, calling them rehearsals for war. On Monday, Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, who also acts as his spokeswoman, accused President Trump's administration of 'most hostile and confrontational will' against her country, citing its continuation of the joint exercises with South Korea. 'We will never confine ourselves to sitting still and commenting on the situation,' Ms. Kim said. She indicated that North Korea might resume testing nuclear-capable weapons.
