Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has issued a warning to the United States and South Korea about signing a new nuclear weapons treaty, labeling President Joe Biden ‘senile’ and ‘too miscalculating and irresponsibly courageous’ for his remarks.
Kim stated that the new deal aimed at increasing deterrence against Pyongyang will result in a ‘more serious risk’ in the region.
“When we consider that this expression was personally used by the president of the US, our most hostile adversary, it is threatening rhetoric for which he should be prepared for far too great an after-storm,” she was quoted as saying by state news agency KCNA.
“The more the enemies are dead set on staging nuclear war exercises, and the more nuclear assets they deploy in the vicinity of the Korean peninsula, the stronger the exercise of our right to self-defence will become in direct proportion to them,” she added.
“The pipe dream of the US and (South) Korea will henceforth be faced with the entity of more powerful strength.”
What caused Kim’s sister to lash out?
The comment by KimYoJong comes after Biden said Kim Jong Un’s dictatorship would be destroyed if he launched a nuclear assault on the US or its allies. Biden made the remark after signing the Washington Declaration during a visit to the United States earlier this week by South Korean President YoonSukYeo.
“A nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies or partners is unacceptable and will result at the end of whatever regime were to take such an action,” Biden had said.
This is not the first time Pyongyang’s highest leaders have used harsh language at US President Donald Trump. While exchanging verbal threats, Kim Jong Un referred to then-President Donald Trump as a “mentally deranged U.S. dotard” in 2017.
What is the Washington Declaration?
According to the declaration, Seoul would not build its own nuclear weapons, but the US will assist in their use in the event of a battle with North Korea.
As part of the agreement, the United States would also provide nuclear-armed submarines to South Korea. Additionally, aircraft carriers and bombers will make routine visits to the region to send a message to the enemy, according to officials.
Notably, this is the first time that negotiations about such a deal have come to fruition since the United States withdrew all of its nuclear weapons from South Korea in 1991. However, there is no immediate plan to station nuclear weapons in South Korea.