Kim Yo-jong, North Korea's top foreign policy official, stated on 20/8, "In this joint military exercise, South Korea is studying a new type of coordinated operational plan, aiming to eliminate North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities in the initial stage and expand the attack into North Korean territory".

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Ms. Kim was referring to the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise conducted by the South Korean and US militaries, describing it as an "aggressive" military activity. The North Korean official also criticized the South Korean government for its "double personality," as it continuously sends messages calling for peace and dialogue but still maintains military exercises.

Ms. Kim Yo-jong in Pyongyang, August 2022. Photo: KCNA

Ms. Kim Yo-jong in Pyongyang, August 2022. Photo: KCNA

Ms. Kim denied the possibility of Pyongyang recognizing Seoul as a diplomatic partner, saying that South Korean President Lee Jae-myung "cannot change the historical flow of confrontational ambition".

"The South Korean government continuously pretends to support peace and improve relations, but it's all aimed at shifting the blame onto us for future fluctuations in inter-Korean relations. This will never happen again," Ms. Kim said.

South Korean officials have not yet commented on these statements.

The US and South Korea began the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercise on 18/8, aiming to respond to "potential threats" from North Korea. According to the US military, the exercise will last 11 days and include several large-scale live-fire training activities, and is described as defensive in nature.

North Korea frequently criticizes joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, viewing them as "invasion rehearsals" and often retaliating with weapons tests.

This year's US-South Korea exercise will be similar in scale to 2024 but has been adjusted by moving 20 of the 40 field training activities to September, as South Korean President Lee Jae-myung announced his desire to reduce tensions with North Korea.

Since taking office in June, Mr. Lee has sought to improve relations with North Korea, marking a reversal from his predecessor Yoon Suk-yeol. However, Pyongyang has so far remained distrustful of this move and rejected Seoul's proposals.

President Lee pledged on 15/8 to respect North Korea's political system and build military trust. Ms. Kim Yo-jong, Mr. Kim Jong-un's sister and North Korea's top foreign policy official, previously stated that Pyongyang has no intention of improving relations with South Korea.

Thanh Danh (Yonhap, Reuters)