Kim Jong-un's sister slams S. Korea's resumption of live-fire drills as 'suicidal hysteria'

08-07-2024 Mon 06:18 | International | IANS

Seoul, July 8: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong on Monday denounced South Korea's resumption of live-fire artillery drills near the border as "suicidal hysteria" and warned of possible military actions against such acts.

South Korea has conducted live-fire artillery exercises near the land and sea borders in recent weeks after fully suspending an inter-Korean 2018 military tension reduction agreement that bans such manoeuvres and other acts deemed hostile against each other.

"Clear to everyone is the riskiness of the above-said reckless live ammunition firing drills of the ROK army coming nearer to the border of the DPRK under such situation," the North Korean leader's sister said in a statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The ROK is the acronym of South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea, and the DPRK is the acronym of the North's full name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Kim claimed that South Korea has been destabilizing the regional security situation, as President Yoon Suk Yeol is attempting an "emergency escape" out of a political crisis by raising tensions on the Korean Peninsula with provocative acts in border areas, Yonhap news agency reported.

In what would be an attempt to drive a wedge in South Korea, she pointed out that the number of South Koreans demanding the National Assembly to propose a bill on the impeachment of Yoon has surpassed the 1 million mark on the parliament's petition website.

Calling the South Korean military's resumption of the live-fire drills "suicidal hysteria", Kim warned of potential military actions against an act that North Korea will regard as provocative.

"In case it is judged according to our criteria that they violated the sovereignty of the DPRK and committed an act tantamount to a declaration of war, our armed forces will immediately carry out its mission and duty assigned by the DPRK Constitution," she said.