North Korea Rejects Seoul’s Outreach, Citing US Alliance and Upcoming Drills

SEOUL — Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has firmly rebuffed recent overtures from South Korea’s new liberal government. In a statement released Monday, she criticized Seoul’s “blind trust” in its alliance with the United States and its perceived hostility toward Pyongyang, asserting that these factors make the current administration no different from its conservative predecessors.

Her comments signal Pyongyang’s lack of interest in resuming diplomacy with Seoul or Washington in the near future, especially as North Korea deepens its cooperation with Russia. Kim Yo Jong explicitly stated, “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.”

This marks North Korea’s first official response to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s government, which assumed office in early June with a promise to mend strained inter-Korean ties. Despite Lee’s administration halting anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts, curbing propaganda balloon launches, and repatriating North Koreans, Kim Yo Jong views these as insufficient, particularly in light of upcoming summertime South Korea-U.S. military drills, which Pyongyang considers rehearsals for invasion.

South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, in response to Kim Yo Jong’s statement, indicated he would propose adjusting the joint military exercises to President Lee, potentially aiming to draw North Korea back to the negotiating table. Analysts suggest Kim Yo Jong’s stance is designed to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington and to leverage North Korea’s growing ties with Russia.

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