Kim Yo-jong Denies "Landmine Explosion Is Seoul’s Self-Directed Clown Act"... Instead Issues Threats of "Provocation and Retaliation"

Kim Yo-jong, Director of the General Affairs Department of North Korea's Workers' Party and sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has called the recent landmine explosion near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) a "self-orchestrated farce by Seoul." This statement is a direct rebuttal to the South Korean military authorities' announcement that there is a high probability the incident was the work of North Korea. Kim also adopted a threatening stance, mentioning the possibility of "merciless retaliation."

On September 30, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Director Kim made these remarks in a statement issued the previous day titled, "The Perpetrators of the Provocation Must Be Prepared to Pay the Price for Their Self-Orchestrated Farce."

Director Kim did not only address the recent DMZ landmine explosion but also recalled the so-called "box mine incident" of 2015, stating, "Regarding both the timing and methods of the provocation, this is a blatant self-orchestrated act reminiscent of the box mine incident that caused upheaval more than a decade ago." She added, "At that time as well, the puppets (South Korean authorities) forcibly linked the landmine explosion in the western border to us and consistently escalated military tensions under that pretext." However, it should be noted that North Korea also initially rejected responsibility for the incident back then, calling it a "fabrication," but later expressed "regret" after high-level inter-Korean talks.

Director Kim also strongly criticized claims from the opposition parties, including the People Power Party, calling for the resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea in response to the incident. She stated, "The behavior of the South Korean side, attempting to first pin the blame on others and fabricate 'material evidence' to prove it, is the height of absurdity and linguistic sophistry."

Regarding North Korea's ongoing efforts to fortify its border following its declaration of an "enemy-state" policy, Director Kim stated, "This is nothing more than the thorough exercise of our sovereignty and has nothing to do with any military objectives." She continued, "Our soldiers have never once crossed the border. It is clearly an attempt to pick a quarrel and a provocation," she protested.

Director Kim issued a warning: "We will never merely watch the worrisome hostile actions taking place near the border. Should even a single bullet fall on our territory, you must be prepared to face serious consequences." She emphasized, "If the South Korean military gangsters resort to actual live fire instead of warning shots, our border units will respond immediately and mercilessly. Response action guidelines have already been conveyed to the border defense units. Moreover, we have decided to strengthen tactical countermeasures in the direction of the DMZ controlled by South Korea's 3rd Corps, 21st Infantry Division, where such provocations have recently become frequent."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.