Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, launched a scathing attack on South Korea’s leadership on Thursday, describing its president and government as "idiots" and a "faithful dog" of the United States, AFP reported.
Her comments came after Seoul this week saying it was considering fresh unilateral sanctions on the North over recent missile tests, including an intercontinental ballistic missile launch last week.
"This disgusting act shows more clearly that the south Korean group is a 'faithful dog' and stooge of the US," Kim said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
"I wonder what 'sanctions' the south Korean group, no more than a running wild dog on a bone given by the US, impudently impose on the DPRK," she said, using the acronym of the North's official name. "What a spectacle sight!"
Kim accused South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol of creating a "dangerous situation" and compared him unfavorably to his more dovish predecessor Moon Jae-in, under whom, she said, Seoul "had not been our target".
"I wonder why the south Korean people still remain a passive onlooker to such acts of the 'government' of Yoon Suk Yeol and other idiots," she added.
Tensions in the region have been high in recent months, as North Korea has tested dozens of ballistic weapons in 2022, including its first intercontinental ballistic missiles since 2017.
Earlier this month, North Korea test-fired multiple missiles, including a possible failed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and hundreds of artillery shells into the sea, as South Korea and the United States carried out six-day air drills.
At the end of October, North and South Korea exchanged warning shots along their disputed western sea boundary.