Kim Jong Un’s Sister Rejects South Korean Peace Overtures and Criticizes Joint Military Drills
Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, has dismissed the latest peace overtures from South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. According to state media KCNA, she stated that Pyongyang will not view Seoul as a diplomatic partner. This comes as South Korea and the United States continue their joint military drills, which now include testing upgraded responses to North Korea’s increasing nuclear capabilities.
Kim Yo Jong, who holds a key position in her brother’s foreign policy team, labeled the military drills as a “reckless” invasion rehearsal. She also criticized Lee for maintaining a “dual personality” in simultaneously seeking peace and continuing war games.
The comments came during a Tuesday meeting with senior Foreign Ministry officials to discuss diplomatic strategies amidst mounting tensions and a shifting geopolitical landscape. Kim asserted that South Korea, or the Republic of Korea (ROK), lacks seriousness and honesty, and is incapable of being a reliable partner in diplomatic engagements centered on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
This statement comes in response to Lee’s recent efforts to restore a 2018 military agreement aimed at reducing tensions along the border, as well as his calls for Pyongyang to rebuild trust and resume dialogue. Lee has also removed front-line speakers that broadcast propaganda and K-pop as a goodwill gesture since taking office in June.
In his nationally televised speech, Lee emphasized South Korea’s respect for North Korea’s current system and its commitment to an international denuclearization effort, urging Pyongyang to re-engage in dialogue with Washington and Seoul. Kim Yo Jong, however, has previously dismissed Lee’s efforts as a “miscalculation,” referring to the latest gestures as “a fancy and a pipe dream.”
She added that South Korea’s confrontation with North Korea has persisted under both conservative and liberal governments, stating that Lee Jae-myung alone cannot reverse historical trends. Kim also accused the South Korean government of hypocritically discussing peace and improving relations as a way to blame North Korea for the stalemate in inter-Korean relations.
Kim Jong Un has also condemned the US-South Korea military exercises as an “obvious expression of their will to provoke war,” promising to accelerate North Korea’s nuclear build-up in response. The North Korean leader last year officially abandoned the longstanding goal of peaceful unification with South Korea and amended the constitution of the DPRK to designate Seoul as a permanent enemy.
North Korea has repeatedly rejected calls from Washington and Seoul to restart negotiations for reducing its nuclear and missile programs, which halted in 2019 following a failed summit with then-US President Donald Trump.
Kim has prioritized foreign relations with Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, sending troops and equipment to aid President Vladimir Putin’s forces. The conflict has served as a diversion for North Korea to rapidly advance its military nuclear program.
Kim Yo Jong, who holds a key position in her brother’s foreign policy team, labeled the military drills as a “reckless” invasion rehearsal. She also criticized Lee for maintaining a “dual personality” in simultaneously seeking peace and continuing war games.
The comments came during a Tuesday meeting with senior Foreign Ministry officials to discuss diplomatic strategies amidst mounting tensions and a shifting geopolitical landscape. Kim asserted that South Korea, or the Republic of Korea (ROK), lacks seriousness and honesty, and is incapable of being a reliable partner in diplomatic engagements centered on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
This statement comes in response to Lee’s recent efforts to restore a 2018 military agreement aimed at reducing tensions along the border, as well as his calls for Pyongyang to rebuild trust and resume dialogue. Lee has also removed front-line speakers that broadcast propaganda and K-pop as a goodwill gesture since taking office in June.
In his nationally televised speech, Lee emphasized South Korea’s respect for North Korea’s current system and its commitment to an international denuclearization effort, urging Pyongyang to re-engage in dialogue with Washington and Seoul. Kim Yo Jong, however, has previously dismissed Lee’s efforts as a “miscalculation,” referring to the latest gestures as “a fancy and a pipe dream.”
She added that South Korea’s confrontation with North Korea has persisted under both conservative and liberal governments, stating that Lee Jae-myung alone cannot reverse historical trends. Kim also accused the South Korean government of hypocritically discussing peace and improving relations as a way to blame North Korea for the stalemate in inter-Korean relations.
Kim Jong Un has also condemned the US-South Korea military exercises as an “obvious expression of their will to provoke war,” promising to accelerate North Korea’s nuclear build-up in response. The North Korean leader last year officially abandoned the longstanding goal of peaceful unification with South Korea and amended the constitution of the DPRK to designate Seoul as a permanent enemy.
North Korea has repeatedly rejected calls from Washington and Seoul to restart negotiations for reducing its nuclear and missile programs, which halted in 2019 following a failed summit with then-US President Donald Trump.
Kim has prioritized foreign relations with Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, sending troops and equipment to aid President Vladimir Putin’s forces. The conflict has served as a diversion for North Korea to rapidly advance its military nuclear program.
