By the Associated Press’s HYUNG-JIN KIM
South Korea’s SEOUL (AP)The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rejected overtures from South Korea’s new liberal government on Monday, claiming that it is no different from its conservative predecessor due to its heedless faith in the nation’s alliance with the United States and animosity toward North Korea.
According to Kim Yo Jong’s remarks, North Korea is currently focused on growing its cooperation with Russia and does not see the necessity to reestablish diplomatic ties with South Korea and the United States anytime soon. According to experts, she probably wants to sour relations between Washington and Seoul.
In a statement released by state media, Kim Yo Jong reiterated the official stance that, regardless of the policy or suggestion that is adopted in Seoul, we have no interest in it and there is no justification for a meeting or topic to be discussed.
It is the first formal remark from North Korea about the administration of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who assumed office in early June with the pledge to mend severely damaged relations with North Korea.
Lee’s government has repatriated North Koreans who were stranded south in wooden boats months ago, banned activists from flying balloons carrying propaganda leaflets across the border, and stopped anti-Pyongyang frontline loudspeaker broadcasts.
Since leader Kim Jong Un’s high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019 over disagreements over international sanctions, North Korea has avoided discussions with South Korea and the United States. In an effort to sever ties with South Korea, North Korea has since established a hostile two-state system on the Korean Peninsula and concentrated on developing more potent nuclear weapons to strike its adversaries.
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Although Kim Yo Jong praised Lee’s actions as genuine attempts to build relationships, he claimed that the incoming administration was still planning to face North Korea. She brought up the forthcoming military exercises between the United States and South Korea in the summer, which North Korea perceives as a practice invasion.
As he met with Unification Minister Chung Dong-young and inquired about his thoughts on the most recent North Korean declaration, Lee stated that it is critical to rebuild trust between the Koreas. As the highest South Korean official on North Korea by job, Chung later told reporters that he plans to suggest to Lee that South Korea and the United States modify their military drills.
Conservatives, who favor increased South Korea-U.S. training to deal with North Korea’s developing nuclear program, are likely to strongly criticize Chung’s comments, which could imply reducing the amount of training in order to persuade North Korea to resume talks.
Kim Yo Jong’s statement, according to Moon Seong Mook, an analyst at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy in Seoul, indicates that North Korea is waiting for South Korea to break with the United States.
According to Moon, Kim probably sees little profit in interacting with the South since, as long as international sanctions are in effect, it will not be able to resume economic initiatives that have helped the North.
By contributing troops and conventional weaponry to help its war in Ukraine, North Korea developed a relationship with Russia and most likely received financial and other forms of support in exchange.
Trump has frequently boasted of his personal connections to Kim Jong Un and stated his intention to resume diplomatic relations with him since taking office in January of his second term. However, North Korea has not openly reacted to Trump’s approach.
According to Leif-Eric Easley, an international studies professor at Seoul’s Ewha Womans University, Kim Yo Jong’s remarks were heard at home.
According to Easley, Kim Yo Jong’s remarks are an attempt to boost national pride by presenting North Korea as superior despite its economic hardships and status as an international outcast. She also criticizes impending military drills in an attempt to split Seoul and Washington and defend Pyongyang’s weapons programs.
However, Kwak Gil Sup, the head of One Korea Center, a website that focuses on North Korean politics, stated that there is a limit to what North Korea can obtain from Russia and that Pyongyang may alter its strategy at a significant future conference of the governing Workers’ Party, which is anticipated to take place in January.
Kwak stated, “I believe North Korea may develop a Plan B and Plan C in relation to South Korea and the U.S.”
