The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said on Sunday that South Korea will have to pay a "dear price" for sending propaganda leaflets across the border the previous day.
NATO and Europe are crying hoarse about North Korean troops being deployed in Russia. According to the Pentagon, about 10,000 North Korean troops are ready to be deployed in the war zone, most of whom are undergoing training in Russia. This would imply strength of about one division.
Guided by Kim, North Korea carried out a "crucial" missile test that set milestones in "perpetuating the absolute superiority" of the country's armed forces, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Russia said on Monday it will continue its cooperation with North Korea but declined to comment on allegations that it plans to use North Korean soldiers in military operations against Ukraine.
The defence ministry's stance was echoed by the ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Sunday.
Pyongyang has taken relatively drastic anti-virus measures by closing its borders with China, where the coronavirus originated in late December.
North Korea is among just a few countries in the world that claim to have no coronavirus infections, generating speculation that it might be hiding an outbreak.
Arguably, President Kim has also obfuscated reality as he turned up at the testing site without a face mask, even as South Korea has been battling the scourge.
The timing of the missile launches is interesting. At a time when the attention of the world is focussed on how to contain the spread of the deadly virus, North Korea has controlled information to the outside world and has reported no infections. It has projected an image of normality. Though the country closed the borders and all tourist traffic into the country well in time, it remains to be seen how it remained insulated from the spread of the virus when as many as 177 countries are reeling under its severity. Kim Jong-un often boasts of showing his presence at the site of missile launches but was not seen wearing a mask.
Pyongyang has moved to beef up self-defence capabilities amid stalled denuclearization talks with the US.
