Credited from: REUTERS
North Korea's Kim Yo Jong has condemned South Korea, declaring that it cannot be considered a diplomatic partner due to its continued military drills with the United States. She characterized these drills as a "reckless" rehearsal for invasion, criticizing President Lee Jae Myung for expressing a desire for peace while simultaneously collaborating with the US. Kim branded Lee's rhetoric as hypocritical, stating that the South has a "dual personality," according to Channel News Asia and Reuters.
In a series of remarks reflecting the North's stance, Kim Yo Jong referred to South Korea as a "faithful dog" of the US, indicating a complete rejection of any diplomatic overtures from the South. Her comments followed President Lee's steps to lower tensions, which included military agreements aimed at reducing conflicts. However, Kim asserted that peace advances from the South carry "sinister intentions" and would never lead to reconciliation, as reported by South China Morning Post and Al Jazeera.
Amid these tensions, the recent US-South Korea military drills were criticized by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who suggested they revealed a blatant will to provoke war. He ordered a swift expansion of North Korea's nuclear capabilities as a counteraction. Kim Yo Jong echoed her brother’s sentiments, illustrating the deteriorating state of inter-Korean relations amid Lee's administration efforts to repair diplomatic ties, according to Reuters and Reuters.
Despite Lee's initiatives to remove anti-North Korean propaganda broadcasts and engage in diplomatic dialogue, Kim Yo Jong maintained that South Korea's underlying ambitions for confrontation obstruct the path to peace. She emphasized, "Lee Jae Myung is not that man to change this flow of history," signaling an entrenched position against the current South Korean administration, as noted by multiple sources, including Channel News Asia and South China Morning Post.