North and South Korea's tense balloon standoff escalates
5:39 PM EDT, July 14, 2024
The renewed tensions between South Korea and North Korea have again made headlines. Kim Jong Un's sister has spoken out about leaflets that a group of activists sent to North Korea, using no shortage of harsh words addressed to their neighbors.
Since the end of May, North Korea has been sending South Korea balloons with waste, including plastic trash and waste paper. Seoul did not directly respond to this act. However, a group of activists retaliated by sending balloons with leaflets criticizing the Kim Jong Un regime, USB drives with K-pop songs and TV series, and 2,000 one-dollar bills.
Kim Jong Un's sister on South Korea
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of the North Korean dictator, is considered the second most powerful person in the country. She is decidedly harsher in her rhetoric than her brother and has threatened South Korea with nuclear destruction. According to some reports, Kim Yo Jong may even take control of North Korea if her brother cannot lead the country.
According to the German service n-tv.de, Kim's sister spoke about the balloon exchange between South Korea and North Korea. She called Seoul's representatives "scum" and announced retaliation from Pyongyang. She stated that South Korea would "pay a high price."
She reported that numerous "dirty leaflets" have been found along the border. Kim Yo Jong also stated that searches for other packages from the southern border will be conducted. All "foreign" materials will be disposed of.
Tense relations between South Korea and North Korea
The escalation of tensions is not only related to the May incidents involving balloons from North Korea. The government in Seoul suspended the 2018 military agreement, which was supposed to ease relations between the two Koreas. This was related to Pyongyang's GPS signal jamming.
At the end of December last year, Kim Jong Un announced accelerating preparations for a potential war. The reason was supposed to be "confrontational moves" by the US and its allies. North Korea continues to threaten its opponents with the use of nuclear weapons.
It is worth remembering that both states are formally still in a state of war, as the 1950-1953 conflict ended with an armistice signing. However, there is still no talk of signing a peace treaty.
