:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/7DH5WDRVIRCZ5LXEIRHVTKH7ZU.JPG)
Often the first name that comes to mind when discussing the hostility and irrational actions of North Korea is that of the dictator Kim Jong Un. Accustomed to appearing in photos next to missiles before they are launched as a provocation or making threats against the West, the North Korean president has become the most belligerent face of his country. But he already has competition: his powerful sister Kim Yo-jong He has reappeared to show that he is following in his footsteps with an increasingly aggressive speech.
SIGHT: North Korea says if South Korea chooses military confrontation, it will attack with its nuclear force
For the second time in three days, Kim Yo-jong, 34, warned on Tuesday that North Korea will use its nuclear weapons to “eliminate” the South Korean army if they launch a preventive attack. His words were a response to statements made by South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook, who stated that his country’s military has missiles capable of hitting any target in North Korea “quickly and accurately” if there are clear signs of a missile launch.
But Kim’s only sister reinforced the hostility. She added that in the event of a “horrible attack,” South Korean forces will meet a “miserable destiny that will be none other than the total destruction and ruin […] We do not consider it as an adversary for our armed forces”, he added.
“Foolish scum dare to mention a ‘preemptive strike’ against a state that possesses nuclear weapons”, he said in a statement released by the state press. “South Korea could face a serious threat due to reckless statements by its defense minister […] South Korea must discipline itself if it wants to avoid disaster”, he added.
The harsh exchange comes after North Korea resumed its weapons tests, which included its first test of a long-range missile since 2017 on March 24. The episode has also turned its eyes once again on Kim Yo-Jong, a high-ranking government and ruling party official who serves as an adviser to Kim Jong-un.
READ ALSO: Peru condemns the launch of the new intercontinental ballistic missile from North Korea
rising figure
It is not the first time that Kim Jong-un’s sister has shown a belligerent speech. In June 2020, after South Korean human rights activists sent anti-North propaganda leaflets using balloons, Kim Yo-jong called them “human scum” and “mongrel dogs.” He also went so far as to call out and ridicule then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in, calling him “mentally disabled” and a “scared dog.”
The newspaper “The New York Times” recalls that that time the young woman warned of a retaliatory action, in what seemed to be a threat to destroy the Inter-Korean Liaison Office established in 2018 to facilitate communication between North and South Korea. South. And the office was destroyed.
Kim Yo-jong is officially a senior official in the Workers’ Party that rules North Korea and is in charge of relations with South Korea and the United States. According to Seoul, she is North Korea’s number two after her brother.
Carlos Aquino, coordinator of the Center for Asian Studies (CEAS) at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, points out that in recent years, the stature of Kim Yo-jong in North Korea and abroad has clearly increased and that Today it is the face of the regime.
“His recent words have caused surprise, first because he has reappeared publicly after six months. He was aware of his charges and the power he has, but he hadn’t been talking. Secondly, they are quite harsh words, which is very typical of them, they are very good at insulting”, he tells El Comercio.
He points out that in recent years Kim Yo-jong has assumed very particular functions, which is something that has not been seen before in North Korea. Among the reasons are rumors that Kim Jong-un is not in good health. “In fact, there has been a modification in the Constitution that said that if the commander in chief fails, someone second in the hierarchy could take over, something that was not established before. She has an increasingly preponderant weight“, Explain.
“Obviously, she’s taken on a bigger role because she’s a counselor. That was clearly seen in the interview that she did with President Donald Trump in 2018. She has gone from being a sister to an adviser, spokesperson and definitely future successor if something happens to Kim Jong-un. She has qualities of her own, she has shown it in her international appearances”, he adds.
Additional motivations
The professor explains that the North Korean regime is annoyed because in South Korea the candidate who opposed a conciliatory position with them won the presidency. The newly elected president, the conservative Yoon Suk-yeol, takes office in May and has said that the South could carry out a preventive attack against the North. “Obviously the North Koreans cannot stand this and this has been reflected in the bitterness of Kim Yo-jong’s statements”.
He adds that the North Koreans are also taking advantage of the international situation of the war in Ukraine, which means benefits for North Korea, since the United States will be busy in Europe and Russia will support Pyongyang for continuing in the confrontation with Washington.
For example, remember that the official was by Kim Jong-un’s side during summit meetings with Moon, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the United States President Donald Trump. Also, at the end of 2019, Kim Yo-Jong was appointed head of the Department of Organization and Guidance, the formal seat of political power in North Korea, where all key personnel decisions related to the party, the military, are made.
Source: Elcomercio
