North Korea Mocks South Korea and US Despite Military Drill Reduction

North Korea has signaled no thaw in relations with South Korea, even after the joint military drills between Seoul and Washington were shortened. Pyongyang's leadership has launched a scathing verbal assault on its southern neighbor.

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South Korea is in a pathetic situation because it can no longer continue its war games as planned.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, stated that South Korea is in a "pathetic situation" because it can no longer continue its "war games" as planned. She released a statement via the state-run KCNA news agency. The South Korean military retorted, calling Kim a "puppet army whose command authority lies in the hands of the US." They also accused South Korean President Lee Jae Myung of being "two-faced."

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puppet army whose command authority lies in the hands of the US

These harsh remarks come after conciliatory gestures from both South Korea and the United States. Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump ordered the joint military exercise, which began Monday, to be cut in half. Trump justified his decision by stating the military drills appeared "hostile" to North Korea. He also noted that North Korea had not behaved "threateningly or respectfully" during his term and expressed a desire to meet with Kim Jong-un again this year.

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two-faced

Yesterday, North Korea fired about a dozen short-range ballistic missiles, according to the South Korean military. These missiles had a range of approximately 300 kilometers. "If the US thinks it can propagate its latest move as a sign of so-called goodwill, then it will not receive the desired response," Kim Yo Jong said regarding Trump's announcement to shorten the drills.

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hostile