Seoul, July 28: In a sharp rebuke to Seoul’s latest diplomatic overture, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, declared that North Korea has no interest in talks with South Korea, dismissing recent peace efforts by the South’s new liberal administration.
In a statement released via North Korean state media on Monday, Kim Yo Jong acknowledged the “sincere efforts” of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s government to de-escalate tensions — including halting anti-North broadcasts, curbing leaflet campaigns, and repatriating North Koreans who had drifted south. However, she dismissed these measures as meaningless, stating 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.
This marks Pyongyang’s first official response to Lee’s administration since it took office in early June. Despite the new government’s conciliatory approach, Kim Yo Jong criticized Seoul’s continued military alliance with the United States and its participation in upcoming joint military drills, which North Korea perceives as rehearsal for invasion.
Experts suggest that North Korea’s hardline stance is influenced by its growing strategic partnership with Russia, which includes the reported supply of weapons and troops for the ongoing war in Ukraine. In return, Pyongyang is believed to be receiving economic support and possibly sensitive military technology that could advance its nuclear weapons program.
Kim’s remarks also follow a broader shift in North Korean policy. In early 2024, leader Kim Jong Un revised the country’s constitution to remove the long-standing goal of peaceful reunification with South Korea, instead defining the South as a permanent enemy. This unprecedented move has been interpreted by analysts as a formal rejection of inter-Korean unity and a step towards legitimizing potential military aggression.
While former U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in reviving nuclear diplomacy with Kim Jong Un, North Korea has remained silent. The collapse of Kim’s high-stakes negotiations with Trump in 2019, coupled with tightening international sanctions, has pushed Pyongyang to look east toward Moscow rather than south toward Seoul.
