The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Kim Yo Jong, has issued a stern warning to South Korea over a new leafleting campaign by its civilians.
What Happened: Since late May, North Korea has been retaliating against South Korean activists’ political leaflets by sending trash-filled balloons across the border, AP News reported on Monday. South Korea responded by suspending a 2018 tension-reduction deal and resuming propaganda broadcasts and military drills at border areas.
Kim Yo Jong, in a statement carried by state media, warned against South Korea’s “dirty play.” The last instance of North Korea sending rubbish-carrying balloons was in late June.
"We have fully introduced our countermeasure in such situation. The (South Korean) clans will be tired from suffering a bitter embarrassment and must be ready for paying a very high price for their dirty play," Kim Yo Jong said.
Why It Matters: In the past, North Korea has reacted fiercely to South Korean leafleting campaigns, including blowing up a South Korean liaison office in 2020 and exchanging fire in 2014.
South Korea, however, does not restrict activists from sending leaflets to North Korea, citing a 2023 constitutional court ruling that deemed such leafleting as an exercise of free speech. This has led to increased tensions, with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol criticizing North Korea's balloon activities as "a despicable and irrational provocation.”
These rising threats from North Korea have prompted the United States and South Korea to sign their first joint nuclear deterrence guidelines. The guidelines aim to bolster their response to North Korea's escalating nuclear threats.
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Photo courtesy: Flickr
This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari
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