In the latest escalation in inter-Korean tensions, Kim Yo-jong, who is the sister of and a key advisor to Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, issued an ominous military threat against South Korea on Saturday, vowing unspecified retaliation over Seoul’s behavior against the communist state.
In a statement run by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Ms. Kim stated that it was “high time” to break relations with the South, and that the “next action” against the “enemy” would be taken by the country’s military.
The statement comes amid recent efforts by North Korea to unilaterally increase friction with the South. Just last week, Pyongyang cut off all communication channels with Seoul after taking issue with South Korea’s handling of propaganda spreading activists and defectors.
Experts claim that the move is likely a part of a broader plan by Pyongyang to ask for more concessions from its neighbor. North Korean isolation has increased due to the coronavirus crisis, and rising economic pressure and crippling international sanctions are taking their toll on the country and its leadership. This could be just a way for Kim Jong-un to distract the population from North Korea’s woes and rally the people around a common cause.
Also read: North Korea Severs All Communication Channels With “Enemy” South
Though the South has tried to pacify Pyongyang by promising to enact laws that would alleviate its concerns, North Korea remains unsatisfied and has continued to generate a crisis with Seoul. The head of North Korea’s United Front Department on Friday said that the North had lost all confidence in the South’s leadership and warned of “regretful” and “painful” times ahead for South Korea. A day later, Kwon Jong Gun, the head of the North America department in the DPRK foreign ministry criticized the South’s “meddling” in the country’s relations with the United States, urging Seoul to stop its “nonsensical talk” about denuclearization.
South Korea’s National Security Council held an emergency meeting via video conference on Sunday, to review the situation and discuss options on how to best respond. The South’s defense ministry said that it was “seriously assessing” and “carefully monitoring” North Korean actions, and that the military “is maintaining resolute military readiness to respond to all situations”.
Recent events have put a dampener on progress made under South Korean President Moon Jae-in, such as the peace agreement made at the 2018 Panmunjom summit.
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