N. Korean leader's sister again pushes back against Seoul's medical aid offer

SEOUL, October 9 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, on Friday dismissed South Korea's offer of humanitarian medical aid, branding the gesture a "farce" and a "political provocation." In a statement released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim accused the South of staging an "unprecedented politically-motivated, military and moral provocation" against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The offer, which involves sending 1,431 medical items across 166 categories to a hospital in Pyongyang, was part of a humanitarian medical support program. Kim refused to accept the aid, calling it an "insult" and a "ploy" to harm North Korea's reputation and image. She further asserted that the South's accusations of North Korea's involvement in a recent landmine explosion near the inter-Korean border were an attempt to tarnish Pyongyang's standing.

North Korea has denied responsibility for the September 21 mine blast inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which injured three South Korean soldiers. Kim warned that North Korea would continue to disregard and reject the South's offers, emphasizing that the provocations staged by Seoul are unprecedented and politically-motivated.