AFP, Seoul

North Korea blasted the South Korean defence minister yesterday for “reckless” remarks about Seoul’s ability to strike Pyongyang, warning of retaliation after conducting a record number of weapons tests this year. South Korean defence minister Suh Wook had said Friday that his army had missiles with “the ability to accurately and quickly hit any target in North Korea”. The comments drew condemnation from Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a key policy adviser. “His reckless and intemperate rhetoric about the ‘preemptive strike’ has further worsened the inter-Korean relations and the military tension on the Korean Peninsula,” she said according to official North Korean news agency KCNA. “South Korea may face a serious threat owing to the reckless remarks made by its Defence Minister... South Korea should discipline itself if it wants to stave off disaster,” Kim added.