▲ This file image of Kim Yo-jong was published by the Korean Central News Agency on Feb. 24, 2026. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)
▲ Black Hawk helicopters engage in a flight drill at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on March 9, 2026, on the first day of the 11-day Freedom Shield exercise between South Korea and the United States. (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) N Korea-joint military drills

(2nd LD) N. Korean leader's sister warns of 'terrible consequences' amid S. Korea-U.S. military drills

(ATTN: UPDATES with Seoul official response in paras 11-13; ADDS byline)

By Park Boram

SEOUL, March 10 (Yonhap) -- The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday condemned the ongoing joint military drills between South Korea and the United States, warning of "unimaginably terrible consequences."

Kim Yo-jong, a department director at the ruling party, issued the warning in a press statement a day after Seoul and Washington kicked off their annual springtime military exercise, the Freedom Shield, for an 11-day run.

"The muscle-flexing of the hostile forces near the areas of our state's sovereignty and security may cause unimaginably terrible consequences," Kim said in the statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency.

Kim said the exercise took place "at a critical time when global security structure is collapsing rapidly and wars break out in different parts of the world due to the reckless acts of the outrageous international rogues."

"This will result in further destroying the stability of the region," she noted.

Kim said the exercise reveals once again the countries' "inveterate repugnancy" and "habitual hostile policy" toward Pyongyang, calling it a "provocative and aggressive war rehearsal of those simulating and planning the confrontation" with the regime.

Citing the "recent global geopolitical crisis and complicated international events," she said they show that all military maneuvers by enemy field warfare troops have "no distinction between defense and attack, training and actual warfare."

"They should be suppressed through an extraordinarily overwhelming and preemptive super-offensive," Kim noted.

She did not specify which recent global geopolitical crisis she was referring to, but the phrase appears to allude to the ongoing conflict triggered by U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran.

"Our head of state has already clarified that it is undoubtedly a law and iron principle that the most powerful offensive capability constitutes the most reliable deterrent," Kim also noted. "The enemies should never try to test our patience, will and capability."

An official at South Korea's unification ministry noted Kim did not directly refer to the U.S. or make a threat using the regime's nuclear arsenal in her statement, suggesting the North may have refrained from a high-intensity response to the drills amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.

"Kim appears to have limited her response to merely pinpointing the South Korea-U.S. exercise, taking the current security situation into account," the official said on condition of anonymity.

The official said the unification ministry will continue its policy seeking peaceful coexistence with North Korea, reaffirming the Lee Jae Myung administration's commitment to resuming talks and building peace with Pyongyang.

Some 18,000 troops are expected to take part in the FS exercise, on a scale similar to last year, participating in drills simulating real-war scenarios and incorporating modern warfare tactics.

The allies plan to conduct 22 field training drills during this year's FS exercise, around half of the 51 on-field drills staged last year.

Tuesday's statement marks Kim's first public remarks toward South Korea since her promotion to director of the ruling party's general affairs department at last month's ninth congress of the Workers' Party of Korea. She was previously a vice party department director.

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