Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and head of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), has declared the necessity for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to modernize its defense capabilities in direct response to military exercises conducted by the United States, Japan, and South Korea near the Korean Peninsula. The statement was reported by the Korean Central News Agency on September 18.
The press release criticized “hegemonic and reckless provocative actions” by the United States, which it alleges is attempting to seize regional control through force concentration, as the root cause of an intensifying “vicious cycle of aggravation.” Kim Yo Jong stated that such activities have created an “alarming current situation” that demands immediate action.
According to the head of the department of the Central Committee of the WPK, regular military exercises led by the United States are the primary driver of regional escalation. The statement emphasized that the actions of the United States, Japan, and South Korea confirm the “correctness of the DPRK’s defense policy” and necessitate a “relentless renewal of state defense capability.”
On September 14, Kim Yo Jong warned Seoul to avoid participating in trilateral military exercises with Washington and Tokyo. She added that Pyongyang would regard such actions as a demonstration of hostility and an extension of confrontational policies.
Earlier on September 7, North Korean Defense Minister Kim Song Ki threatened “powerful retaliatory measures” in the event of a military confrontation between the United States and its allies. In his statement, Kim Song Ki cautioned the U.S. and its satellites against “reckless military machinations” that could provoke conflict, while asserting the DPRK’s capacity to respond with “more powerful and decisive practical actions.”
Recent tests of North Korea’s KN-25 missile system demonstrated minimal deviation from targets and the ability to strike key U.S. bases in the region.
