Kim Jong Un infuriated by "soiled" images of his wife in South Korean leaflets
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Kim Jong Un and his wife, Ri Sol Ju (Photo: AFP) |
North Korean President Kim Jong Un was so infuriated about the "dirty, disgusting" images of his wife Ri Sol Ju in a leaflet campaign by South Korean defectors that he exploded a liason office with Seoul and threatened to take military action, according to New York Post.
These leaflets are usually transported via air balloons, or in bottles. “The leaflets bore a special kind of dirty, disgusting propaganda, aimed at the leader’s spouse,” Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora said.
Matsegora said they were photoshopped “in such a low-grade way”, and the leaflets have become such a sensitive issue, sparking “serious outrage”, reported by Wion News.
This was the most provocative actions by North Korea on the peninsula since it entered an agreement with the South to reduce tensions in 2018.The following day North Korea announced it would resume military exercises, boost readiness in border towns and re-establish guard posts.
Propaganda leaflets sent by balloons have been a common tactic between the two Koreas, which are still technically at war as their 1950-53 Korean War ended without a peace treaty.
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Kim Jong Un threatened to take military action after the incident (Photo: EPA) |
In May, North Korean defectors in South Korea dropped 500,000 leaflets, cash, USB sticks and SD cards by 20 balloons. After this incident, Kim Jong Un was urged to send 12 million leaflets to South Korea.
This incident follows rumors of Kim's death as he has not been seen for three weeks. He has been disappearing and reappearing over the past three months. The dictator has not been seen since a meeting on June 7, informed The Sun.
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A liaison office in Kaesong in what is said to be Jong-un's response to the flyers (Photo: AP) |
North and South Korea relations froze after a summit between Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump last year, when the two sides failed to reach a mutual agreement on whether North Korea would disarm nuclear weapons to gain easing sanctions.
Pyongang turned its anger against Seoul instead of Washington, though the North and South Korean leaders continued three more summits. North Korea is subject to many UN Security Council sanctions for its nuclear weapon program.
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Tensions have been escalating between North and South Korea (Photo: EPA) |
The Russian Ambassador also rejected speculation that Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un's younger sister, was fostered to become the next North Korean leader, AFP reported.
Since early June, Kim Yo-jong has been representing Pyongyang's tough response to the defectors' leaflets from South Korea. North Korea blew up the liaison office after Kim Yo-jong warned that the bilateral relationship would soon "completely collapse" and then called South Korean President Moon Jae-in "disgusting". and "crazy".
"Despite her experience in politics and diplomacy, Kim is too young," said Ambassador Matsegora. "There is absolutely no reason to say she is being fostered to take power."
"No one dares to call themselves number two in North Korea," he added. "I suppose if you ask Kim Yo-jong if she's number two, she will definitely say 'no'."
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