North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister warned Friday of an “overwhelming nuclear deterrence” unless the United States abandons what it described as its “hostile policy” against Pyongyang, according to state media.
Kim Yo Jong defended North Korea’s recent launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile as self-defence.
North Korea, the nuclear-armed country, on Wednesday launched a solid-fuel missile with a range of 1,001 km (622 miles) and a maximum height of 6,648 km, before it plunged into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.
Experts said the missile’s trajectory indicated that it could reach the US mainland.
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In a statement carried by the North’s Korean Central News Agency, Kim Yo Jong said, “Now that the United States has refused to abandon its hostile policy towards North Korea (…) the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will strive to build the most powerful and overwhelming nuclear deterrent,” using North Korea’s official name.
The North Korean leader’s sister described the missile test as “self-defense (…) to prevent the catastrophe of a nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula and the Asia-Pacific region,” and added that no one could blame Pyongyang in the face of Washington’s “hostile policy.” .
Kim Yo Jong criticized the UN Security Council for its response to the launch.
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In a joint statement, ten of the fifteen members of the Security Council, including the representative of South Korea, condemned the latest experience. They pointed out that the launch of 20 ballistic missiles by North Korea in 2023 constitutes a “flagrant violation of many Security Council resolutions.”
Kim Yo Jong denounced the statement as “unfair and biased.”
Earlier this week, Kim Yo Jong indicated that a US military reconnaissance plane violated North Korean airspace, and warned of the possibility of shooting down planes of this type if the matter is repeated.
In response to North Korea’s missile tests, Seoul and Washington strengthened their military cooperation and promised Pyongyang a nuclear response and the “termination” of the current government in North Korea if it uses nuclear weapons.
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2023-07-14 19:04:39
