Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un has said that North Korea will nuke South Korea if it violates “even an inch” of its territory.
The threat was issued just after the secretive country ramped up its ballistic missile testing with nine launches so far this year.
State media quotes Kim as saying;
“If the South Korean army were to injure even an inch of our land, they would face a catastrophe that we had never imagined before.
“If a situation arises where South Korea chooses a military confrontation with us, it will inevitably force our nuclear warfare force to carry out its mission.
“This is not just a threat. This is a detailed explanation of our reaction to possible reckless military action by south Korea.”
Her outburst was prompted by comments from South Korea’s defence minister which said the country now has significantly improved missiles.
These now have “the ability to accurately and quickly hit any target in North Korea” said Suh Wook.
Yo-jong who’s a senior official in the government and ruling party, also said Suh’s comments were a “very big mistake”. She said Pyongyang opposes war, which would leave the peninsula in ruins, and does not view South Korea as its principal enemy.
She added;
“But if south Korea, for any reason – whether or not it is blinded by misjudgment – opts for such military action as ‘preemptive strike’ the situation will change.
“In that case, south Korea itself will become a target.
“The senseless and scum-like guy dare mention a ‘preemptive strike’ at a nuclear weapons state.
“South Korea may face a serious threat owing to the reckless remarks made by its defence minister.”
Yo-jong is seen as her brother’s closest confidant and has been confirmed as his top official for relations with the South.
North Korea has test-fired a range of increasingly powerful missiles this year. Officials in Seoul and Washington fear it may be preparing to resume testing nuclear weapons for the first time since 2017 amid stalled negotiations.