Seoul: South Korea will consistently pursue the normalization of ties with North Korea, the unification ministry said Thursday, responding to Pyongyang's statement rejecting Seoul's conciliatory overtures.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the government aims to stabilize relations between South and North Korea in a mutually beneficial manner. This response came shortly after Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, dismissed the Lee Jae Myung administration's efforts to resume dialogue as a "pipe dream."
Kim Yo-jong stated that North Korea has no intention of improving relations with South Korea, and this stance may soon be enshrined in the country's constitution. Despite this, a unification ministry official emphasized the importance of a long-term approach to transform the historically tense inter-Korean ties into a relationship of goodwill.
The ministry highlighted the need for consistent actions from both nations to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and build peace. The timing of Kim's statement was possibly influenced by Lee's upcoming public address on the 80th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japan's colonial rule, the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise with the U.S., and the Aug. 25 summit between Lee and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Kim's statement also indicated North Korea's preference for prioritizing relations with the U.S. over Seoul, viewing Washington as a more suitable partner for addressing its concerns. She left open the possibility of resuming dialogue with the U.S., conditional on changes in American policy.
Additionally, Kim refuted claims by Seoul that North Korea had begun dismantling loudspeakers on the border, stating they remain in place. However, Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, affirmed the military's assessment that North Korea had removed one loudspeaker.