Jakarta, CNN Indonesia –
South Korea reportedly insulted the wife of the highest minister North Korea Kim Jong-un through anti-Pyongyang flyers with dirty words. The information was obtained from the Russian ambassador to North Korea.
According to Russia’s ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, defectors slipped the provocative image of Kim Jong-un’s wife, Ri Sol-ju, in a leaflet launched on May 31. That sparked serious anger on Pyongyang’s part.
“The leaflet contains dirty and derogatory propaganda specifically, addressed to the (North Korean) leader pair,” Matsegora told Russian news agencies TASS, Monday (6/29).
Photos of Kim and his wife edited with Photoshop with low image quality and both were described as ‘the last problem in a series of problems (the last straw)’ for North Korea.
Russia is North Korea’s main ally and Matsegora is one of Pyongyang’s longest-serving ambassadors.
The Russian diplomat also dismissed speculation that Kim’s younger sister, Kim Yo Jong was being trained to become the successor to the North Korean leader.
Since early June, Kim Yo-jong has been the face behind North Korea’s aggressive attitude towards leaflets distributed by South Korean defectors.
Despite serious political experience and foreign policy, Matsegora said Kim Yo-jong was still ‘rather young’ to replace Kim.
“There is absolutely no reason to say that he is being trained to take over (Kim’s position). Nobody dares to call themselves number two in this country,” Matsegora said.
“I think if you ask friend Kim Yo-jong if he (person) number two, he will answer ‘no’ firmly,” he said.
In recent weeks, Pyongyang issued a series of scathing criticisms of anti-North Korean leaflets sent by South Korean defectors. The leaflets were sent via balloons or floated in bottles.
Reporting from AFPThe leaflet became a point of tension between the two countries, but Pyongyang increasingly escalated the conflict by blowing up the liaison office and threatening to take military steps.
Relations between the two have froze after the fall of the summit between Kim Jong-un and United States President Donald Trump earlier last year. The meeting discussed what North Korea would provide in return for easing sanctions.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in initially brokered the Trump and Kim meetings, but North Korea blamed South Korea for not persuading the US to ease sanctions.
North Korea is also subject to several sanctions by the UN Security Council for a prohibited weapons program.
(years / dea)
[Gambas:Video CNN]
– .
