North Korea on Saturday lambasted the agreement reached between South Korea and the United States to strengthen nuclear deterrence, with the very powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, Kim Yo Jong, saying he could only lead to "a graver danger".
During a visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to the United States, Washington and Seoul on Wednesday warned North Korea against any nuclear attack that would trigger a response that would "end" the regime in Pyongyang .
This agreement will "only contribute to exposing peace and security in Northeast Asia and the world to a greater danger, and it is therefore an action that can in no way be welcome", launched Kim Yo Jong, according to remarks reported Saturday by the North Korean news agency KCNA.
North Korea is convinced of the need to "further perfect" its nuclear deterrent program, she said.
"The more the enemies persist in holding nuclear exercises, the more they deploy nuclear weapons near the Korean peninsula, and the more the exercise of our right to self-defense will be in direct proportion," she said. warned.
Mr. Yoon and his American counterpart Joe Biden on Wednesday adopted the “Declaration of Washington”, which considerably strengthens their cooperation in defense matters, including nuclear.
Among the measures decided under this agreement is the stopover of a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine in South Korea for the first time in four decades.
North Korea has braved years of international sanctions to continue its development of nuclear and missile programs, and has shown no sign of being ready to give up its arsenal which it sees as insurance against any attempt to reversal of the regime.
Pyongyang has conducted a record series of launches this year, including a test of its first solid-fueled ballistic missile, a key technological breakthrough for Kim Jong Un's armed forces. North Korea called last year "irreversible "its status as a nuclear power, thus ruling out any possibility of negotiations on denuclearization.
Washington and Seoul have increased their defense cooperation in response and organized extensive joint military exercises.
Joe Biden's criticism of Pyongyang is "absurd (...) from (a) person of advanced age", said Kim Yo Jong.
President Biden, 80, "is not at all capable of taking on this responsibility," she added, calling him "an old man with no future." It's "too much for him to complete the remaining two years of his term," said Kim Jong Un's sister, also calling South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeok a "fool".
North Korean officials are accustomed to insults and sweeping statements about foreign leaders. In 2017, during a stormy exchange by Twitter and state media, Kim Jong Un called then-US President Donald Trump "a dodder".
South Korea's Unification Ministry on Saturday condemned Kim Yo Jong's "outlandish" statement, reflecting "his nervousness and frustration over the U.S.-Korea alliance's drastic strengthening of nuclear deterrence".
The ministry, in charge of inter-Korean relations, added that the "foul language" of Pyongyang testified to the "low level of the North".
Kim Yo Jong's remarks suggest that military tensions on the Korean peninsula could "escalate significantly to a level similar to 2017", Cheong Seong-chang of the Center for North Korean Studies told AFP. at the Sejong Institute.
Statements by Kim Jong Un's sister constitute 'strong protest' by Pyongyang over Biden's remarks that 'the North would meet the end of its regime if it carried out a nuclear attack' , he believes.
29/04/2023 06:12:22 - Seoul (AFP) © 2023 AFP
