Kim Jong Un’s sister says US drills push North Korea to expand nuclear arsenal
Photo: North Korea accused the US of escalating tensions (Getty Images)
Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's leader, stated that US-led military exercises in the region only strengthen the country's resolve to expand its nuclear arsenal and enhance its defense capabilities, according to Bloomberg.
"It is inevitable that outsiders’ greater threat to our national security makes our physical power grow stronger ceaselessly in a corresponding manner," Kim Yo Jong stated.
In particular, she accused the US of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula through a series of multinational exercises, including Pacific Vanguard - a naval exercise involving South Korea and Japan that concluded last week.
According to her, these exercises are US-led military rehearsals, adding that Pyongyang's aspiration to strengthen its nuclear deterrence will remain unchanged.
"Our will to defend our sovereignty will be expressed in clearer action and there will be never ever change in the course of intensifying the nuclear war deterrence," stated Kim Jong Un's sister.
Her warning came after the five-day Freedom Edge military exercises conducted by the US, South Korea, and Japan in international waters east and south of the South Korean island of Jeju.
According to US and South Korean military sources, the exercises involved naval and air assets, and included training in areas such as missile defense, cybersecurity, and medical operations. Seoul called the annual exercises defensive and aimed at countering North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.
The day after the operation concluded, North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern coast, prompting South Korea's National Security Office to convene an emergency meeting to assess the security situation. According to South Korean military data, the missiles flew approximately 250 km.
Bloomberg notes that the escalating rhetoric comes against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump's attempts to restore personal diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
What else is important to know
In August, Donald Trump suddenly reduced planned joint exercises with South Korea. In this context, he referred to his very good relations with the North Korean leader.
In 2025, Trump stated that South Korea needs to spend more on its own defense.
