Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issued a stark warning to the United States, threatening “high-profile” provocations in response to the arrival of a US aircraft carrier in South Korea and other military activities.
Her statement, carried by North Korean state media, accused the US of escalating tensions and demonstrating “its most hostile and confrontational will” toward Pyongyang.
Kim Yo Jong’s remarks come as the USS Carl Vinson, a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, arrived in South Korea as part of efforts to strengthen the US-South Korean military alliance. She condemned the deployment of US strategic assets and joint military drills, labeling them as “confrontation hysteria of the US and its stooges.”
Her statement suggested that North Korea is considering “increasing the actions threatening the security of the enemy at the strategic level” to counter what it perceives as a growing threat from US military activities in the region.
Observers interpret this as a potential precursor to North Korea test-launching intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or other powerful weapons targeting US military bases in the region.
North Korea has long viewed the presence of US military assets in South Korea as a direct threat to its security. The arrival of the USS Carl Vinson follows North Korea’s fourth missile test event this year, which involved the launch of cruise missiles.
Despite US President Donald Trump’s recent overtures to revive diplomacy with Kim Jong Un, North Korea has not directly responded. Instead, Kim Yo Jong’s statement underscores Pyongyang’s focus on maintaining its military posture and deepening its alliance with Russia.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s Defence Ministry dismissed Kim Yo Jong’s statement as “sophistry” aimed at justifying North Korea’s nuclear development and future provocations.
Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump held three historic summits between 2018 and 2019, but their diplomacy ultimately collapsed over disagreements regarding US-led economic sanctions on North Korea. Experts believe that Kim is unlikely to engage with Trump’s outreach in the near term, as he prioritises North Korea’s burgeoning cooperation with Russia.
