Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, described South Korea’s recent military exercises near the border as an “outright and unjustified provocation,” according to the Korean Central News Agency.
Kim accused South Korean President Yoon Suk-yul of stirring up tensions on the Korean Peninsula with the aim of diverting public attention from his poor performance in domestic politics. Kim cited an online petition calling for Yoon’s dismissal, which collected more than a million signatures.
Kim stressed that if North Korea finds that its sovereignty has been violated, its armed forces will immediately carry out the mission and duty in accordance with its constitution.
The South Korean military resumed live-fire artillery training near the western maritime border in late June, for the first time since 2018.
Last month, South Korea announced the suspension of the military agreement signed with North Korea in 2018, in protest against North Korea’s launching of balloons packed with garbage towards the South.
These statements and decisions come amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, where the two sides are constantly exchanging accusations and threats, which increases the possibility of the conflict escalating if diplomatic measures are not taken to calm the situation.
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