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North Korea warns US to stop war drills if “it wants to sleep in peace” [Video]

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:


  • Kim Jong Un’s sister Kim Yo Jong said on Tuesday that South Korea and the US should stop their military drills on the border if they want to achieve peace.
  • Kim’s statement came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin were set to arrive in Seoul to discuss foreign policy.
  • The military drills were only limited to computer simulations and were defensive in nature, per Seoul’s Ministry of Defense.

North Korean state news agency KCNA reported on Tuesday that Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, denounced the current military drills in South Korea and warned President Joe Biden’s administration that the smell of cordite reaching their border would not aid in promoting peace.

Kim’s announcement ━ which came a day as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin were set to meet in Seoul to have their first alignment with South Korean officials ━ was the first public message of Pyongyang to the new US administration.

“We take this opportunity to warn the new U.S. administration trying hard to give off powder smell in our land,” Kim said in a statement carried by state media. “If it wants to sleep in peace for coming four years, it had better refrain from causing a stink at its first step.”

“War drills and hostility can never go with dialogue and cooperation,” she said.

During a briefing in Tokyo, Blinken said that he was familiar with Kim’s comments. He noted, however, that he was keener in knowing the stance of US allies regarding Pyongyang.

This week, Blinken and Austin were both roaming in Asia to align on foreign policy and security matters with Japan and South Korean allies, among other things.

In the coming weeks, Biden’s administration is set to issue an assessment of North Korea’s policy as Blinken noted that the US is planning whether to put more pressure on the Hermit Kingdom.

According to Korean expert Ramon Pacheco Pardo from the King’s College London, Kim’s statement release was planned by North Korea in a bid to give a signal to the US that they should be treated as a priority when they come to Seoul.

“Until now, the discussion was focusing on The Quad, dealing with China and the North Korea policy review… Now Kim’s statement will be central to discussions,” Pardo said.

So far, the Supreme leader has rebuked appeals from the US to re-engage in diplomatic talks, per the White House on Monday. The bittersweet relations started during President Donald Trump’s term which was acquired by the Biden administration.

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Kim criticized Seoul’s military exercise, saying that it was “resorting to shrunken war games, now that they find themselves in the quagmire of political, economic and epidemic crisis.”

The joint military drill, though, was only limited to computer simulations due to the pandemic. South Korea’s Ministry of Defense Boo Seung-chan said that the drills were part of their usual defensive routines.

Source: Reuters

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