Kim Yo-jong denounces U.S.-led Pacific Vanguard drills as war rehearsal

Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued a statement through the Korean Central News Agency condemning the Pacific Vanguard exercise launched by the U.S. Navy on Aug. 30 near Guam. She labeled the more-than-ten-day drills as a "war rehearsal" that featured intensive anti-ship, anti-air and anti-submarine training centered on U.S. forces. The exercise involves naval units from South Korea, Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand.

Kim argued that the maneuvers are a new form of "war game" designed to heighten inter-camp confrontation and sustain U.S. hegemony in a region populated by major rival powers. Her comments underscore the heightened rhetoric between North Korea and the United States over military presence in the Pacific. The statement adds to a series of recent North Korean denunciations of international security initiatives.