Kim Yo-jong rejects Seoul’s conciliatory gestures, calls them a ‘shabby, deceptive farce’

Kim, vice department director of the ruling Workers’ Party, rejected the possibility of dialogue with Seoul and said that Pyongyang also has no reason to meet with Washington. The remarks underscored the regime’s determination to maintain its hostile stance toward both South Korea and the United States while pressing to be recognized as a nuclear state.

Rebuke of South’s tension-easing measures

In a statement published by the Korean Central News Agency titled “Hope of Seoul Is Nothing but a Foolish Dream,” Kim criticized President Lee’s remarks at a Cabinet meeting on August 12, in which he noted that “we removed loudspeakers [for psychological warfare] against the North and the North Korean military is also dismantling their loudspeakers” as part of mutual steps toward dialogue.

Kim rejected the South’s account.

“We have never removed loudspeakers installed on the border area and are not willing to remove them,” she claimed, accusing Seoul of misleading public opinion.

She criticized South Korean officials and experts for describing the North’s supposed moves as a “‘response measure’ and ‘change sensing’ and a ‘positive response,'” calling it an “unfounded unilateral supposition and a red herring.”

She also dismissed Seoul’s partial adjustments to the Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercises with the United States, saying that such moves do “not deserve praise and will prove futile.”

“Whether the Republic of Korea withdraws its loudspeakers or not, stops broadcasting or not, postpones its military exercises or not and scales them down or not, we do not care about them and are not interested in them,” she said. “The shabby deceptive farce is no longer attractive.”

Kim’s remarks reaffirmed Pyongyang’s refusal to engage in talks under the current framework, a stance that experts say aims to entrench its doctrine of “Two Hostile States” as a permanent reality.

“It is a reaffirmation of the existing strategic stance to thoroughly block any situational reconciliation measures or inter-Korean dialogue and to make the ‘two hostile states’ relationship permanent,” said Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification.

‘The most hostile forces’

Kim also said that the North plans to enshrine the break in inter-Korean ties in its constitution.

“We have no will to improve relations with the Republic of Korea, a faithful servant and ally of the United States, and this conclusive stand and viewpoint will be fixed in our constitution in the future,” she said.

She argued that Seoul should be stipulated in the state’s law as “the most hostile forces in its true colors,” and cited as reasons the South’s constitutional aspiration for unification under a liberal democracy, the South Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), regular military drills and Seoul’s rejection of the North’s nuclear status.

Analysts note that Pyongyang including the South Korea-U.S. alliance and the strengthening of extended deterrence among the reasons for designating the South as a primary enemy can, in effect, be seen as presenting conditions for dialogue to Washington.

Kim also addressed speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin might convey Kim Jong-un’s views to U.S. President Donald Trump during the upcoming U.S.-Russia summit, dismissing such expectations as “a false dream.”

At the same time, she noted that if the United States clings to its “outdated way of thinking,” meetings between the leaders will remain only its “hope.” This leaves the door ajar for dialogue, but only if Washington changes its stance on denuclearization.

Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said the statement clarified the conditions for resuming inter-Korean and North Korea-U.S. dialogue, such as recognition of the North as a nuclear power, an end to South Korea-U.S. military exercises and the dismantling of the NCG.

“This year, the North is expected to focus on strengthening its alliance with Russia while devoting all efforts to preparations for the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party’s founding and the Ninth Party Congress,” Lim added.

The presidential Office of National Security said Kim’s statement confirmed the depth of distrust between the two Koreas and urged Pyongyang to recognize that “small actions to restore trust and lower tensions can pave the way to greater peace.”

While avoiding direct criticism, the statement hinted at displeasure over Kim’s mention of Lee by name.

At the same time, working-level ministries made it clearer that they intend to continue conciliatory measures.

The Ministry of National Defense said it would “maintain military readiness while continuing effective military tension-reduction measures to support the government’s efforts to build peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

“We will continue to monitor developments related to the loudspeakers toward the South,” the Defense Ministry added, leaving open the possibility that the North might respond.

The Ministry of Unification stressed the need for patience and sustained engagement in inter-Korean relations.

“Easing tensions and building peace on the Korean Peninsula will require sincere attitudes and sustained actions from both sides,” the ministry said.

BY CHUNG YEONG-GYO [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]