Express | Stephen Brown | June 15, 2020
As part of a campaign, which has been going on since 2004, defectors have been dropping leaflets opposing the current regime into the nation using hydrogen balloons. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korea’s Supreme leader Kim Jong-un, has labelled the rebels ‘human scum’.
In the state-owned newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, Ms Jong said: “I would like to ask the South Korean authorities if they are ready to take care of the consequences of evil conduct done by the rubbish-like mongrel dogs who took no scruple to slander us while faulting the ‘nuclear issue’ in the meanest way at the most untimely time.
“I detest those who feign ignorance or encourage more than those who move to do others harm.”
She went on to call the defectors as “human scum little short of wild animals who betrayed their own homeland”.
Although Kim Jong-un remains the Supreme Leader of North Korea, a number of actions have been carried out by his sister over the past two months due to rumours of his ill health.
The move is unprecedented in the hermit state’s history and in the past officials have been executed if it appeared they had disobeyed their leader.
Recently, tensions with South Korea have escalated after they announced a plan to look into two groups of defectors that have sent aid and propaganda leaflets to their former home nation.
In response, Kim Yo-jong stated that “an instruction” was given to the department in charge of affairs with the “enemy” for them to “decisively carry out the next action”.
According to some, this aggression may be an attempt to cover up other problems in the state including suspicions about the health of their leader, famine or even coronavirus cases.
Her recent declaration against South Korea could reignite rumours that the leader is not well because she has been permitted to give orders on his behalf.
Chris Mikul, author of the 2019 book ‘My Favourite Dictators’, claimed it was unusual for her to be shown as equal to her brother but didn’t think she would be able to become the next leader.
He told Express.co.uk: “To state the obvious, it’s a fairly sexist society… I thought it would be a step too far for her to take over but then you don’t know.
“Everything about North Korea is a supposition to some extent and usually whenever anything happens there is a time lag.”