Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and an influential figure in the Pyongyang regime, has accused the United States and South Korea of threatening regional stability with their joint military exercises launched this week.
In a statement relayed by the official North Korean news agency KCNA, it described the maneuvers as a "provocative and aggressive war rehearsal," arguing that they revealed the "usual hostile policy" of the two allies towards North Korea.
The annual Freedom Shield exercises are taking place from March 9 to 19 and involve more than 18,000 South Korean and American troops. According to Kim Yo Jong, these operations are being conducted "day and night" on land, at sea, in the air, and also in space and cyberspace.
The North Korean official warned that these maneuvers risked exacerbating tensions and "further destroying regional stability." Pyongyang regularly denounces these exercises, which it considers preparations for an invasion.
For their part, the United States and South Korea maintain that these exercises are strictly defensive in nature. Both countries explain that they aim to improve military coordination in the face of potential threats on the Korean Peninsula.
These statements come amid persistent tensions between Pyongyang and its neighbors, marked by North Korean missile tests and regular displays of military force in the region.
