Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said the country will continue to build overwhelming and the strongest military power to protect its sovereignty and regional peace, the North’s KCNA news agency reported on Wednesday.
Kim said a series of military exercises by the U.S. military in the region this year starting with live-fire drills conducted with the “South Korean puppet military gangsters” are driving the regional security environment into a dangerous turmoil.
“We will continue to build overwhelming and the most powerful military power to safeguard our sovereignty, security and regional peace,” KCNA quoted her as saying.
The U.S. and South Korean militaries have been conducted a range of drills with greater scale and intensity in recent months under a pledge by the two countries’ leaders to upgrade military readiness against North Korea’s military threats.
About 100 military aircraft conducted two-week-long aerial drills this month, according to South Korea’s military.
North Korea says U.S. military exercises are preparations for a nuclear war against it. Washington and Seoul say the drills are defensive in nature and regularly conducted to maintain readiness.
North Korea officials visit Iran in a rare public trip
A North Korean delegation led by the cabinet minister for international trade is visiting Iran, the North’s official media said on Wednesday in a rare public report of an exchange between the two countries believed to have secret military ties.
The minister for external economic relations, Yun Jong Ho, left Pyongyang on Tuesday by air leading a ministry delegation to visit Iran, the North’s KCNA news agency said. It gave no other detail.
North Korea and Iran have long been suspected of cooperating on ballistic missile programmes, possibly exchanging technical expertise and components that went into their manufacture.
Iran has provided a large number of ballistic missiles to Russia for use in its war with Ukraine, Reuters reported in February.
North Korea is also suspected of supplying Russia with missiles and artillery, although both countries have denied the allegation.
Yun has previously worked on the country’s ties with Syria, according to South Korean government database.
Yun has been active in the country’s increasing exchanges with Russia, earlier this month leading a delegation to visit Moscow, according to KCNA.
A file photo of Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un. EPA-EFE/JORGE SILVA / POOL
Via Reuters
