Kim’s sister denies North Korea has supplied weapons to Russia

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again denied Friday that her country has exported any weapons to Russia, as she labeled outside speculation on North Korea-Russian arms dealings as “the most absurd paradox.”

The U.S., South Korea and others have steadfastly accused North Korea of supplying artillery, missiles and other conventional weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine in return for advanced military technologies and economic aid. Both North Korea and Russia have repeatedly dismissed that.

Foreign experts believe North Korea’s recent series of artillery and short-range missile tests were meant to examine or advertise the weapons it was planning to sell to Russia.

Kim Yo Jong called outside assessments on the North Korean-Russian dealings “the most absurd paradox which is not worth making any evaluation or interpretation.”

“We have no intention to export our military technical capabilities to any country or open them to the public,” she said in a statement carried by state media.

She said North Korea’s recent weapons tests were purely performed as parts of the country’s five-year arms buildup plan launched in 2021. She added that the recently tested weapons are designed to attack Seoul, the South Korean capital.

“We don’t conceal the fact that such weapons will be used to prevent Seoul from inventing any idle thinking,” Kim Yo Jong said.

In March, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Wonsik said North Korea had shipped about 7,000 containers filled with munitions and other military equipment to Russia since last year. In return, Shin said that North Korea had received more than 9,000 Russian containers likely filled with aid.

In January, U.S. National Security Council