Kim Yo Jong refutes assertions regarding the removal of loudspeakers at the inter-Korean border province.
In a statement featured on state-run Korean Central News Agency on Thursday, Kim Yo Jong dismissed the claim by South Korea’s military as “a baseless unilateral hypothesis and a diversiony tactic.”
“Loudspeakers set up in the border region have not been removed, and we have no intention of removing them,” Kim mentioned.
She accused Seoul of “manipulating public opinion while exaggerating their new policy” towards Pyongyang.
“They seem to foolishly think that if they manage to get us to respond to their actions, it will be beneficial, and if not, their actions will at least demonstrate their ‘efforts for détente’ and they can shift the responsibility for tension escalation onto the DPRK and garner global support,” Kim mentioned, using the abbreviation for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Such a “street trick” is merely “a pipe dream” that “does not interest us in any way,” Kim noted.
“Regardless of whether the ROK removes its loudspeakers or not, halts broadcasts or not, postpones or scales down its military exercises, we do not care and are not interested,” she asserted, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.
“This tawdry deceptive drama is no longer alluring.”
In a declaration reported by local media, South Korea’s Ministry of Unification did not directly address Kim’s claims, but confirmed ongoing efforts towards the “normalization” and “stabilization” of inter-Korean ties.
Kim’s criticism follows the declaration by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on Saturday, stating that Pyongyang had removed a number of loudspeakers, following South Korea’s similar action on their side of the border a few days prior.
North Korea remains highly protective of criticisms targeting the ruling Kim family, which has governed the isolated country for almost eight decades and is depicted with divine-like reverence in official rhetoric.
Since the commencement of left-leaning South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s term in June, Seoul has sought conciliation with its enigmatic neighbor, following years of strained tensions between the Koreas during the previous conservative presidency of Yoon Suk-yeol.
However, Kim Yo Jong, the overseer of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea’s propaganda operations, has consistently rebuffed any potential reconciliation attempts between both Koreas.
In a scathing rebuff to Lee’s reconciliation efforts last month, Kim stated that there was no “more significant misconception” than assuming relations could be mended “with a few sentimental words.”
In her Thursday remarks, Kim also chastised South Korean media reports indicating that Pyongyang might leverage Friday’s summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to communicate with Washington.
“This is a clear indication that the ROK is delusional,” she stated.
“If a dream is dreamed too often, it turns out empty, and so many suppositions will lead to so many contradictions that will not be resolved. So why should we send a message to the U.S. side.”
