The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has warned that the recent agreement between the US and South Korea will lead to a ‘more serious threat’.
Kim Yo Jong said North Korea’s nuclear deterrent “must be further perfected,” JEE News reported.
The US agreed to deploy nuclear-armed submarines to South Korea and include Seoul in its nuclear program to counter nuclear threats from the North.
In return, South Korea agreed not to develop nuclear weapons.
The deal – known as the Washington Declaration – was announced this week during President Joe Biden’s talks with his South Korean counterpart Yoon Seok-yul in the US capital.
Referring to the agreement, Ms Kim said: “The more the adversary is willing to conduct nuclear war drills, and the more nuclear assets they deploy around the Korean Peninsula, the stronger our exercise of our right to self-defense will be.” Be in direct proportion to them.”
He warned that the move would “only bring peace and security to Northeast Asia and pose more serious threats to the world”.
Ms Kim holds a high position in the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, and is said to have influence over her brother.
President Biden hailed the agreement, saying it would bolster allies’ cooperation in deterring North Korean aggression.
President Yoon said the deal represents an “unprecedented” commitment by the United States to deter attacks and protect allies from the use of nuclear weapons.
China warned against “deliberately inciting tension, inciting conflict and making threats”.
Under the deal, the US will further underline its defense commitments by sending nuclear-armed submarines to South Korea for the first time in 40 years, along with nuclear-capable bombers, among other assets.
The two sides will also form a Nuclear Consultative Group to discuss planning issues.
Politicians in Seoul have long urged Washington to get more involved in planning when and how to use nuclear weapons against North Korea.
There is growing concern on both sides about the nuclear threat posed by North Korea. Pyongyang is developing tactical nuclear weapons that can target South Korea, and is improving its long-range missiles that can reach the US mainland.
The US already has a treaty obligation to defend South Korea, and has previously pledged to use nuclear weapons if necessary. But some in South Korea have begun to question that commitment and have called for the country to pursue its nuclear program.
