Seoul: On Friday, Seoul urged North Korea to halt its derogatory remarks against South Korea following the decision by US President Donald Trump to cut short joint military drills with South Korea.According to TRTworld.com, the South Korean Presidential Office stated, "Derogatory remarks toward our government and president do not help in building mutual trust." The office further called on the North to cease unnecessary criticism and work towards peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.Seoul's response came after a statement from Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korea's leader, who remarked on South Korea's predicament in discontinuing the war games it favored. On Sunday, President Trump instructed the Pentagon to reduce the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield drills to five days, ending on Friday, citing his rapport with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.Kim Yo-jong acknowledged the strong relations between Kim and Trump but criticized the unchanged hostile US policy toward Pyongyang. She accused South Kore an President Lee Jae-myung of double-dealing, alleging that he publicly supported the US while privately advocating for independent military capabilities.President Lee backed Trump's decision, advocating for the transfer of wartime operational control from the US by 2030 and emphasizing the need to strengthen defense mechanisms.In response to Kim's statement, Lee's office emphasized on Friday that, "As a party directly involved in building peace on the Korean Peninsula, the government will continue its close cooperation with the US while making proactive efforts to help resume North Korea-US dialogue as a pacemaker."Hours before Kim's statement, North Korea launched at least 10 short-range ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan during the ongoing US-South Korea drills.
- September 1, 2026
