Seoul: The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has publicly criticized South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for his recent peace overtures, asserting that Seoul is not considered a diplomatic partner by Pyongyang. Kim Yo-jong, who serves as the vice department director of the North Korean ruling party's Central Committee, expressed her disapproval of Lee's attempts to reconcile while also condemning ongoing military exercises between South Korea and the United States.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim Yo-jong made her remarks during a meeting with the foreign ministry's director generals, as reported by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). She emphasized that the Republic of Korea (ROK) lacks the seriousness, weight, and honesty required to participate in the regional diplomatic arena led by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), asserting that South Korea cannot be considered a diplomatic partner.
Kim's comments come in response to a series of reconciliation efforts initiated by Seoul to mend the strained inter-Korean relations. President Lee, in his Liberation Day speech last week, expressed his willingness to respect North Korea's political system and assured that he would not pursue unification through absorption. Additionally, he committed to taking measures to reinstate the 2018 inter-Korean military pact aimed at reducing tensions, which had been suspended.