North Korea appears to have shut the door on fresh peace efforts by South Korea’s new liberal administration, with Kim Yo Jong – powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un – declaring on Monday that Pyongyang has “no interest” in talks with Seoul, regardless of the proposal, according to a report published by The Associated Press.
“We clarify once again the official stand that no matter what policy is adopted and whatever proposal is made in Seoul, we have no interest in it and there is neither a reason to meet nor an issue to be discussed with South Korea,” she reportedly said in a statement carried by state media.
Kim Yo Jong’s comments mark North Korea’s first official response to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s government, which assumed office in early June.
Peace Gestures Rejected
President Lee’s administration, reports suggest, has sought to ease tensions by halting border propaganda broadcasts, cracking down on activists launching leaflets into the North, and repatriating North Koreans who drifted south.
Kim Yo Jong acknowledged South Korea’s recent moves as “sincere efforts,” but slammed Seoul’s growing ties with Washington and the two countries’ upcoming joint military drills, which Pyongyang sees as hostile.
North Korea Focused on Russia, Not Reunification
Since the collapse of nuclear talks with President Donald Trump in 2019, North Korea has seemingly pivoted away from diplomacy, ramping up its weapons programs. Pyongyang, experts say, now appears more focussed on strengthening military and economic ties with Russia. Western officials believe Moscow may be offering technology in return for arms and troops in Ukraine.
Earlier this year, Kim Jong Un revised North Korea’s constitution, removing peaceful unification with the South as a goal and calling South Korea an “invariable principal enemy,” as reported by The Associated Press.
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