{
  "id": 8118924,
  "title": "(LEAD) N.K. leader's sister slams U.S.-led maritime drill, vows nuclear build-up",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/lead-n-k-leaders-sister-slams-u-s-led-maritime-drill-vows-nuclear",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-17T22:35:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yonhap News",
    "slug": "yonhap-news",
    "url": "https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20260918001151320"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Seoul, September 18 (Yonhap) -- Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, strongly criticized a U.S.-led multinational naval drill on Friday, calling it a war game and vowing to bolster nuclear deterrence. The remarks were made in a statement released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), following the conclusion of the 13-day Pacific Vanguard exercise, which involved U.S. allies such as South Korea and Japan. Kim claimed that the multinational naval maneuvers were a provocative \"threatening war game\" designed by the U.S. to heighten regional tensions and maintain its global dominance. She also lambasted the involvement of South Korea and Japan, labeling it as part of a \"tripartite military cooperation system\" aimed at North Korea. Kim stated that any external threat to the nation's security would prompt a stronger and more aggressive response, including intensifying nuclear deterrence capabilities. She reiterated that North Korea's military would fully comply with its constitutional duties and deploy all available resources to counter such threats. This marked the second official statement from Kim in two days, after she previously dismissed calls for North Korea's denuclearization during the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference currently taking place in Vienna, Austria.",
  "summary": "SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Yonhap) -- Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean lea...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}