News analysis

North Korea takes aim at South to raise status of Kim's sister: Experts

They say hardline stance also serves to distract North Koreans from ailing economy

New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

Propaganda balloons carrying signs denouncing "liar Kim Jong Un" and his new strategic nuclear weapons floated across the demilitarised zone towards North Korea late last month, released by defectors who said they wanted to expose the bad deeds of the dictator.

The move incurred the wrath of his sister Kim Yo Jong, who slammed the leaflets as a "despicable act" and threatened to scrap an inter-Korea military agreement, abolish a joint liaison office and shut down major exchange projects.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 09, 2020, with the headline North Korea takes aim at South to raise status of Kim's sister: Experts. Subscribe