and also for Seoul’s failure to stop South Korean civilian activists from flying anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets and other “dirty waste” across the border by balloon. She harshly criticized Yoon for continuing military exercises with the U.S.
Kim Yo Jong, the increasingly powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, described Yoon’s proposal as foolish and stressed that the North has no intentions to barter away an arsenal her brother apparently sees as his strongest guarantee of survival. The drills came after North Korea last week dismissed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s offer to exchange denuclearization steps and economic benefits, accusing Seoul of recycling proposals Pyongyang has long rejected. Ulchi Freedom Shield, which started along with a four-day South Korean civil defense training program led by government employees, will reportedly include simulated joint attacks, front-line reinforcements of arms and fuel, and removals of weapons of mass destruction. The United States and South Korea had canceled some of their regular drills and reduced others to computer simulations in recent years to create space for diplomacy with North Korea and because of COVID-19 concerns. While Washington and Seoul describe their exercises as defensive, North Korea portrays them as invasion rehearsals that justify its nuclear weapons and missiles development.Ĭho Joong-hoon, a spokesperson of South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said the South hasn’t immediately detected any unusual activities or signs from the North. 1 in South Korea and include field exercises involving aircraft, warships, tanks and potentially tens of thousands of troops. The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises will continue through Sept.