North Korean Leader Kim Yo-jong Criticizes Joint Korean-United States Drone Exercise

Kim Yo-jong. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - Kim Yo-jong, the younger brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un criticized the joint US drone exercise with South Korea, confirming Pyongyang's nuclear strengthening, reported state media KCNA Tuesday.

Kim criticized the air drills they carried out after North Korea tested a new solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile dubbed Hwasong-19 last week, as well as "more than 20" military exercises that allies have carried out this year.

With such threats, North Korea will not be affected by the path of strengthening its nuclear deterrence, KCNA said, quoted by Reuters on November 5.

North Korea's ICBM launch last week flew higher than previous North Korean missiles, according to North Korea as well as the military in South Korea and Japan that tracked its flight deep into space before falling in the ocean between Japan and Russia.

Following the launch, the South Korean and US air forces carried out the first joint attack exercise using direct fire dropping GPS-guided ammunition in a simulated attack on enemy targets, South Korea's air force said.

Live-fire drills, involving South Korea's RQ-4B Global Hawk reconnaissance drone and US MQ-9 attack drone, took place at an unnamed location in South Korea, in an effort to demonstrate allied military capabilities in dealing with North Korean threats.

The exercise took place in a scenario of attacking the origin of enemy provocations, with South Korean drones collecting data on simulated targets and sharing them with US drones, according to the Air Force.

"After receiving the information, the drone fired the GBU-38 joint direct attack ammunition to attack the target accurately," he said.

A military source said the two sides did not plan to publish the drills, but decided to do so as a warning to North Korea after the launch of its ICBM.

Last week's launch of the ICBM came shortly after North Korea began sending troops to help Russia's war in Ukraine, which immediately drew criticism from Washington and its allies in South Korea, Japan and Europe, as well as the secretary-general of the United Nations.