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North Korea
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Kim Jong-un’s sister makes first official statement, taking aim at South Korea after North’s weapons tests

  • Kim Yo-jong described presidential Blue House as ‘a mere child’ and ‘a burnt child dreading fire’, after South Korea criticised North’s latest firing drills
  • South Korean officials and experts say she if effectively the North’s top propaganda official

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Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Photo: AP
Associated Press
In her first known official statement, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has aimed a series of insults on South Korea for protesting her country’s latest live-fire exercises.
Believed to be in her early 30s, Kim Yo-jong is in charge of propaganda affairs and has frequently appeared at her brother’s major public events including summits with US President Donald Trump and other regional leaders. But her statement carried by state media, the first in kind, indicated her political status has been further elevated.

In the statement, she criticised South Korea’s presidential office of Blue House for expressing strong concerns over the North’s firing drills and urging it to stop such an act that does not contribute to efforts to reduce military animosities.

“As far as I know, the South side is also fond of joint military exercises and it is preoccupied with all the disgusting acts like purchasing ultra-modern military hardware,” Kim Yo-jong said. “They meant they need to get militarily prepared but we should be discouraged from military exercises. Such a gangster-like assertion can never be expected from those with normal way of thinking.”

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Describing the Blue House as “a mere child” and “a burnt child dreading fire”, she went on to say that “How come can [sic] all its words and acts be so perfectly foolish in detail?”

Kim Yo-jong with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Seoul. Photo: AP
Kim Yo-jong with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Seoul. Photo: AP
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Kim Yo-jong still didn’t mention by name liberal South Korean President Moon Jae-in, whom she met several times. She only said: “The South side’s response is so regretful and disappointing but it is somewhat fortunate that it was not direct statement of the president.”

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