North Korea's powerful leader Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, has issued a warning to South Korea following its recent front-line live-fire drills. Kim Yo Jong referred to the drills as 'suicidal hysteria' and threatened unspecified military actions if further provoked.
The tension escalated after South Korea conducted firing exercises along its land and sea borders with North Korea, breaking a 2018 agreement aimed at easing military tensions. Kim Yo Jong accused South Korea's conservative government of deliberately escalating the situation to divert attention from a domestic political crisis.
She criticized the recent military exercises as risky, especially considering the joint military exercise involving the U.S., South Korea, and Japan, which North Korea perceives as a security threat. Kim Yo Jong warned that any violation of North Korea's sovereignty could be seen as a declaration of war, prompting immediate military response.
North Korea has been conducting a series of weapons tests since 2022, with two recent tests drawing skepticism from South Korean officials who believe North Korea may have falsified successful launches to mask failures.
In response to North Korea's provocative actions, South Korea suspended the 2018 inter-Korean military pact after North Korea protested against South Korean activists by flying balloons carrying various items across the border. The military agreement, which aimed to halt hostile acts at border areas, had already been in jeopardy due to escalating tensions between the two Koreas.
