Seoul - The sister of North Korea's
leader has warned of retaliatory measures against South Korea
that could involve the military, in the latest escalation of
tensions over defectors from the North who have been sending
back propaganda and food.
Kim Yo Jong, who serves unofficially as one of Kim Jong Un's
top aides, issued the warning in a statement carried by state
news agency KCNA on Saturday.
"By exercising my power authorized by the Supreme Leader,
our Party and the state, I gave an instruction to the ...
department in charge of the affairs with (the) enemy to
decisively carry out the next action," Kim said.
Her statement, which did not say what the next action could
be, came days after South Korea took legal action against
defectors who have been sending material such as rice and
anti-North leaflets, usually by balloon over the heavily
fortified border or in bottles by sea.
North Korea said it has been angered by the defectors and
in the past week severed inter-Korean hotlines and threatened to
close a liaison office between the two governments.
As part of the effort to improve ties with the North, South
Korean President Moon Jae-in's administration has sought to
discourage the leaflet and rice campaigns, and defectors have
complained of pressure to avoid criticism of North Korea.
On Sunday, South Korea’s National Security Council meeting
was held with security and diplomatic chiefs in attendance, "to
examine the current situation of the (Korean) peninsula," the
presidential Blue House said, without elaborating.
South Korea's Unification Ministry and Defence Ministry each
released statements asking the North to honour inter-Korean
agreements reached in the past.
"The South and the North should try to honour all
inter-Korean agreements reached," the Unification Ministry said
in a statement.
The Defence Ministry said the military is ready to respond
to "all situations," and added it is closely monitoring moves by
the North Korean military.
The escalation of tension comes a day ahead of the 20th
anniversary of the first inter-Korean summit in 2000, which
pledged increased dialogue and cooperation between the two
states.
In 2018, the leaders of the two countries signed a
declaration agreeing to work for the "complete denuclearisation
of the Korean peninsula" and cease "hostile acts."
Analysts say North Korea appears to be using the leaflet
issue to increase pressure on South Korea amid stalled
denuclearisation talks.
"The leaflets are an excuse or justification to raise the
ante, manufacture a crisis, and bully Seoul to get what it
wants," said Duyeon Kim, a senior advisor at the International
Crisis Group, a Belgium-based independent non-profit
organisation.
Pyongyang feels betrayed and misled by Seoul’s prediction
that the United States would lift some sanctions in exchange for
North Korea closing its nuclear reactor site, and is upset that
leaflets and U.S.-South Korea military drills continue, Kim
said.
"They’re upset that Seoul has done nothing to change the
environment and is again telling Seoul to stay out of its
nuclear talks with Washington," she added.