Kim Yo Jong condemns joint drills but avoids direct mention of US or nuclear force

Mar 11, 2026, 08:26 am

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Missile launchers are seen at a U.S. THAAD missile defense base in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, on March 5. Some launchers are being dismantled as reports emerged that part of the system deployed in South Korea may be relocated to the Middle East. / Yonhap

Kim Yo Jong, a senior official of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, criticized the ongoing South Korea–U.S. joint military exercises but appeared to moderate her message by avoiding direct references to the United States or the country’s nuclear forces.

In a statement released on March 10, Kim denounced the Freedom Shield (FS) joint exercises, saying the drills remain “a clear large-scale war rehearsal of confrontation” regardless of adjustments such as the reduction of participating troops.

Her remarks came despite what some observers described as conciliatory gestures by South Korea and the United States, including adjustments to certain training elements during the exercise period.

Kim argued that the allies’ explanation that the drills are “routine” and “defensive” does not change their nature.

“Regardless of what justification they present, it is a high-intensity, large-scale war exercise carried out by the most hostile forces right at our doorstep,” she said.

She also warned that the drills could undermine regional stability at a time when global security conditions are already deteriorating.

“Amid the reckless actions of international troublemakers that are rapidly collapsing the global security structure and triggering conflicts around the world, the U.S.–South Korea war exercises will further destroy regional stability,” she said, adding that military demonstrations near North Korea’s sovereign territory could lead to “horrific consequences.”

However, analysts noted that the tone of Kim’s statement was relatively restrained compared with previous remarks.

The statement did not explicitly mention the United States or refer to North Korea’s nuclear force, and it avoided the harsh rhetoric often used in earlier responses to joint military exercises.

Observers believe the calibrated tone may reflect North Korea’s awareness of the current geopolitical environment, including heightened global tensions and upcoming diplomatic developments involving the United States.

South Korea’s Ministry of Unification also described the statement as a relatively typical reaction to the annual joint exercises.

A ministry official said the message appears to have taken the current international situation into account, noting the absence of direct references to the United States or nuclear weapons.

“The North has consistently protested joint South Korea–U.S. exercises, so the content itself was largely expected,” the official said, adding that the government will continue pursuing efforts toward peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.

The statement also drew attention because it was Kim Yo Jong’s first public message since taking the position of director of the party’s General Affairs Department.

The department is responsible for administrative affairs, protocol and internal documentation within the party. Kim’s statement suggests she continues to play a central role as Pyongyang’s key voice on issues involving South Korea and the United States.

Analysts say the department could now hold influence comparable to, or even exceeding, that of other powerful party bodies such as the Organization and Guidance Department or the Propaganda and Agitation Department.

Some experts also speculate that the department may have absorbed functions previously handled by the party’s United Front Department, which oversaw inter-Korean affairs.

Cho Han-bum, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said the department’s role may resemble that of the powerful administrative department once associated with Jang Song-thaek, a former top North Korean official.

“As a key power center within the party, it will be important to watch how the General Affairs Department moves in the future,” Cho said.

#Kim Yo Jong #North Korea #freedom shield exercise #South Korea US military drills #THAAD