United States - South Korea Joint Military Exercises, North Korea Spreads Threats

JAKARTA - The sister of the North Korean leader, Kim Yo-jong, criticized the ongoing military exercise between South Korea and the United States. She also warned the US not to cause a "bad smell".

This was as reported by North Korean news agency KCNA on Tuesday, March 16, a day before US diplomats and top defense chiefs arrived in Seoul for the inaugural talks in the era of President Joe Biden.

"We are taking this opportunity to alert the new US administration, which is trying its best to get the stench out of our soil", Kim said in a statement carried by KCNA.

"If he (Joe Biden) wants to sleep peacefully for the next four years, it is better not to smell at the first step", she continued.

South Korean and US troops began joint spring military exercises, which were limited to computer simulations, because of the risk of the coronavirus and ongoing efforts to engage with North Korea.

"War games and hostilities can never proceed with dialogue and cooperation", said Kim Yo-jong, who has been an outspoken critic of Seoul.

North Korea has so far rejected requests from the United States to engage in dialogue. The White House said on Monday this was due to the chills in the relationship that began under President Donald Trump that has extended to Joe Biden's presidency.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held three high-level summits with Trump and exchanged a series of letters, but the nuclear-armed nation ended talks and said it would not get further involved unless the United States withdrew its hostile policies.

"North Korea will consider withdrawing from the inter-Korean military agreement with South Korea aimed at reducing tensions along their common border, and will review whether to dissolve several organizations aimed at cooperating with the South", said Kim Yo-jong.