North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walks beside a missile
(Picture: AP)North Korea has threatened to “eliminate” the South Korean army if they launch a pre-emptive strike, the sister of leader Kim-Jong Un has warned.
Kim Yo Jong, a senior official in Pyongyang’s government, said the South had made a “very big mistake” by claiming its missiles had the ability to “accurately and quickly hit any target in North Korea”.
South Korean defence minister Suh Wook made the comment on Friday amid escalating tensions between the two countries. North Korea resumed testing of powerful missiles earlier this year following a series of failed diplomatic efforts overseen by the Trump administration.
Officials in Seoul and Washington fear the North may be preparing to resume testing nuclear weapons for the first time since 2017 as negotiations stall.
Ms Yo Jong warned on Sunday that Pyongyang would destroy major targets in Seoul if the South takes “dangerous military action” such as a pre-emptive strike.
In a second statement on Tuesday, she appeared to climb down from her aggressive stance, claiming the country did not want war and that South Korea was not the enemy.
“In other words, it means that unless the south Korean army takes any military action against our state, it will not be regarded as a target of our attack,” she said.
Ms Yo Jong said the South would face an “unimaginably terrible disaster” if it violated “an inch” of North Korean territory.
“This is not just a threat. This is a detailed explanation of our reaction to possible reckless military action by south Korea,” she added.
Tensions on the North Korean peninsula have escalated sharply in recent weeks after North Korea tested two ballistic missiles on February 26 and March . Both involved a new ICBM system the country is developing.
South Korea's President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol will take office next month and has previously suggested preemptive strikes may be the only way to counter North Korea’s new hypersonic missiles if they are being readied for an attack.
Mr Yoon, who will become President on May 10, has also called for boosting military deterrence, including by strengthening ties with the United States.
