North Korea blasts South Korea over comments on attack capabilities, threatens to target areas in Seoul

Tensions are high in the Korean peninsula between the two Koreas. North Korea recently criticized the comments by South Korea’s defense minister regarding its attack capabilities, threatening to destroy parts of Seoul if such a move was made.

Pyongyang has criticized the remarks of South Korea’s defense minister Suh Wook, who touted South Korea’s ability to strike North Korea. Pyongyang threatened to destroy major targets in South Korea’s capital of Seoul should South Korea engage in what it described as “dangerous military action.”

Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un issued a statement Sunday with her condemnation of the defense minister’s comments, according to state media outlet KCNA. Ms. Kim said that the defense minister’s comments only “worsened the inter-Korean relations and military tension in the Korean peninsula.”

Suh said Friday last week that South Korea’s military has an arsenal of missiles with improved firing range, accuracy, and power. Suh added that the new and improved missiles had “the ability to accurately and quickly hit any target in North Korea.” Suh also said that the defense ministry will actively support the South Korean military to make sure it is capable of responding to threats coming from North Korea.

In a separate statement, Pak Jong Chon, who is the secretary of the Central Committee of North Korea’s ruling Worker’s Party of Korea, also condemned Suh’s comments, threatening that North Korea will “mercilessly direct all its military force into destroying major targets in Seoul.” North Korea did not elaborate on what it considers major targets in South Korea’s capital.

Meanwhile, a UK-based nonprofit organization called Korea Future recently published a list of nearly 600 people who are associated with human rights abuses in North Korea’s penal system to mark them for eventual prosecution. The human rights abuses by the isolated nation have been widely documented by rights groups, but prosecuting those under the regime of Kim Jong-un has been difficult.

The organization said it hopes the list can encourage governments to proceed with prosecution or other measures, including the Magnitsky-style sanctions, which target those suspected of abusing human rights.