Kim Yo Jong, deputy department director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, issued the following statement on March 15:

I heard the news that the south Korean authorities, who said to have long been suffering from stress in a fix, launched a war game against our Republic on March 8.

It seems as if they are capable of dealing with the consequences to be entailed by the war drill started despite our entirely just demand and unanimous protest and condemnation of all the fellow countrymen.

Our Party Central Committee has already clarified the stand that the inter-Korean relations might return to the new starting point of peace and prosperity as witnessed in the spring day three years ago according to the attitude of the south Korean authorities.

Everyone knows that it points to the hysteria for war drills launched in the south every March and every August, and serves as a meaningful warning that it might become the last chance for the improved inter-Korean relations.

The south Korean authorities, accustomed to paying lip service, are busy billing the drill as an “annual” and “defensive one” and a computer-based simulation drill, as in the past. They say that the drill involves no actual manoeuvres with its scale and contents drastically “reduced”. Perhaps, they are expecting “flexible judgment” and “understanding” from us but it is, indeed, ridiculous, impudent and stupid.

It seems that they were all born with stupidity and have become the stammerer as they are bereft of judgment, being always irresolute. Anyhow, we cannot but reconsider their behaviour.

We have opposed the joint military drills targeting the compatriots but never argued about their scale or form.

It is because the essence and nature of the drills against the compatriots in the north never change despite any change in their forms—whether they are staged in secret or they poorly involve only 50 or 100 persons on a reduced scale, due to the widespread malignant epidemic.

They are not ashamed of remaining ignorant of the fact that we are not taken in by their nonsense like coating mad dog with sheepskin.

To be frank, we feel sorry about the plight of the south Korean authorities as they are to stake their lot on hostile acts against the compatriots even by resorting to useless war games, now that they find themselves in the quagmire of political, economic and epidemic crises.

Perhaps, their persecution mania resulting from abnormal hostility and distrust towards us has reached the extremes.

They staged 110 big or small war drills in 2018, more than 190 in 2019 and over 170 in 2020 for so-and-so reasons, in breach of their promise to halt such drills. We have long been aware of it and are ready to make them pay dearly for it at an appropriate time.

They might know better than anyone else about what impact such continued north-targeted war racket would have on the north-south relations.

We have stressed it several times and offered ample opportunity to them in patience.

Nevertheless, they opted for “war in March” and “crisis in March” again before the eyes of all Koreans, instead of "warmth in March".

They are about to bring a biting wind, not warm wind expected by all, in March spring day.

The south Korean authorities should realize that they have chosen a wrong deed of crossing the “red line” by themselves, something they also do not like to do.

Their idea of seeking confrontation with the compatriots in the north and hostile behaviour towards the latter proved to be a chronic disease, which has reached an incurable state. It is the conclusion drawn by us once again that we have nothing to talk with them.

War drill and hostility can never go with dialogue and cooperation.

Given the current situation that the south Korean authorities persist in hostile acts of denying dialogue and completely destroy the foundation of trust through ceaseless war games, we cannot but put on the agenda the issue of dealing with the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, an organization for dialogue with the south, as it has no reason for its existence.

We also examine the issue of dissolving the Kumgangsan International Tourism Bureau and other organizations concerned as any cooperation and exchange with the south Korean authorities antagonizing us are no longer necessary.

Such crucial steps have already been reported to our supreme leadership.

We will watch the future attitude and actions of the south Korean authorities. And if they dare resort to more provocative acts, we may take a special measure of resolutely abrogating even the north-south military agreement.

Action always produces results.

One thing is clear. The south Korean authorities with just some months left in their term of office would find themselves in extreme uneasiness, for their grave challenging act.

As we clarified at the historic 8th Congress of our Party, they will receive as much as they have tried and paid.

We take this opportunity to warn the new US administration trying hard to give off powder smell in our land.

If it wants to sleep in peace for coming four years, it had better refrain from kicking up a stink at its first step.

However the south Korean authorities would do whatever in the future under their master’s instructions, the warm spring day three years ago, though they desire so much, will not come easily again.

KCNA