SEOUL — North Korea’s powerful leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, issued a stark warning on Tuesday, saying that the ongoing Freedom Shield joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea could bring “unimaginably terrible consequences.” The remarks, made through the state-run Korean Central News Agency, came as the annual spring drills began, amid Washington’s expanding conflict with Iran.
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Kim, recently promoted to department director level in North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, described the exercises as provocative and aggressive, accusing the allies of rehearsing a potential confrontation with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). “The muscle-flexing of the hostile forces near the areas of our state’s sovereignty and security may cause unimaginably terrible consequences,” she said, adding that the drills “will further destroy the stability of the region.”
North Korean leader’s sister criticized U.S.-South Korea for proceeding with joint drills https://t.co/8ou5b6Bv35
— CTV News (@CTVNews) March 10, 2026
The Freedom Shield exercise, running through March 19, includes command-post simulations and field training involving approximately 18,000 South Korean troops, though the number of American personnel has not been disclosed. This year, the number of field exercises has been reduced from 51 to 22 compared with the previous iteration, reflecting the South Korean administration’s efforts under President Lee Jae Myung to revive dialogue with Pyongyang and ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Despite Seoul’s outreach, Pyongyang has rejected diplomatic overtures. Kim Yo Jong also linked the drills to the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict, condemning what she called “reckless acts of the outrageous international rogues.” North Korea’s leadership maintains that these exercises are not routine military training but a rehearsal for invasion.
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Analysts note that while Kim Jong Un has suggested the possibility of future talks with Washington, the North continues to frame joint exercises as a threat to its sovereignty, heightening concerns of potential escalation in the region.