North Korea rejects Seoul's efforts at reconciliation
SEOUL, July 28 (UPI) -- Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Monday that Pyongyang had "no interest" in efforts by the administration of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to improve hostile relations between the neighbors.
Her statement was the North's first official comment on Lee, who was elected in June after former President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office over his botched martial law attempt.
"We did not care who is elected president or what policy is being pursued in the ROK and, therefore, have not made any assessment of it so far," Kim said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.
The Republic of Korea is the official name of South Korea.
Kim said that the new administration's ongoing military ties with Washington made any efforts at rapprochement pointless.
"When only the 50-odd days since Lee Jae Myung's assumption to power are brought to light ... their blind trust to the ROK-U.S. alliance and their attempt to stand in confrontation with the DPRK are little short of their predecessor's," Kim said, using the official acronym for North Korea.
"We clarify once again the official stand that no matter what policy is adopted and whatever proposal is made in Seoul, we have no interest in it and there is neither the reason to meet nor the issue to be discussed," Kim said.
Lee has pledged to improve inter-Korean relations, which have sharply deteriorated in recent years after a period of diplomatic progress in 2018-19. Last month, he suspended propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts at the DMZ and cracked down on activists floating balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border. Seoul also recently repatriated six North Koreans who drifted into southern waters on wooden boats several months ago.
Kim, however, rejected the administration's gestures in her statement, calling the loudspeaker suspensions "nothing but a reversible turning back of what they should not have done in the first place."
"In other words, it is not the work worthy of appreciation," she said.
Seoul's Ministry of Unification, which oversees inter-Korean relations, said Kim's remarks showed that Pyongyang is "closely watching the direction of the Lee Jae Myung administration's policy toward North Korea."
"The wall of distrust between the South and the North is very high due to the hostile confrontation policy of the past few years," ministry spokesman Koo Byung-sam said at a press briefing on Monday.
"The government will not overreact to North Korea's response, but will continue to calmly and consistently pursue efforts to create inter-Korean relations of reconciliation and cooperation and to realize peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula," Koo said.
Newly appointed Unification Minister Chung Dong-young emphasized the need to resume dialogue with North Korea when he took office on Friday.
"Restoring disconnected communication channels between North and South Korea is an urgent priority for resuming inter-Korean dialogue and quickly restoring trust," Chung said during a visit to the border truce village of Panmunjom inside the DMZ.
In her statement, Kim called for the Unification Ministry to be abolished and said that Chung was "spinning a daydream" with reconciliation efforts.
"There can be no change in our state's understanding of the enemy and they can not turn back the hands of the clock ... which has radically changed the character of the DPRK-ROK relations," she said.
In October, North Korea revised its Constitution to declare the South a "hostile state" after Kim Jong Un called for the rejection of the long-held official goal of reunification.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
27 minutes ago
- USA Today
From Bibles to prayer groups: What Trump's new religion memo for federal workers means
The memo provides guidance on religious expression for federal workers. Backers say it mirrors Clinton-era policies. But to others, the overtly Christian language raises First Amendment concerns. President Donald Trump is again making sure his supporters know he is doing his part to bring 'religion back to our country.' Most recently, his administration issued a memo in late July outlining to federal employees the types of religious expression allowed in the workplace. Bibles on desks. Groups joining together for prayer. An employee engaging with 'another in polite discussion of why his faith is correct and why the non-adherent should re-think his religious beliefs.' To many, it had overtly Christian-centric language, raising concerns about the rights of other religious groups. But backers say the memo reinforces existing policies for federal workers, including similar guidance during the Clinton administration. The memo, which Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor issued to all federal agencies, is 'very much in line' with Trump's previous actions on religious liberty, according to University of Houston law professor James Nelson. On the campaign trail and elsewhere, Trump has often told religious audiences he would bring religion back and since his second term began has highlighted efforts that appeal to his conservative Christian supporters. Trump issued an executive order calling for federal agencies to assist in 'Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias' in February, which was followed by the establishment of the White House Faith Office and the Religious Liberty Commission. In the commission's first public meeting in June, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said religious liberty had 'come under attack' in the country and vowed to protect religious freedom from 'emerging threats.' A spokesperson for the Office of Personnel Management said the July 28 memo 'reiterates existing policy' but also updates it in light of U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have upheld religious liberty. It now references, for example, a 2023 ruling in favor of a Christian U.S. Postal Service worker who objected to working on Sundays. Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal organization, called the new memo a 'critical step in restoring a workplace culture that respects and promotes religious freedom for every American.' 'No American should have to check their faith at the door when they walk into the workplace,' the organization's legal counsel, Michael Ross, said. But experts, including Nelson, said the memo is less attentive to the potential for religious coercion and harassment in the workplace than previous guidance. What the memo says The five-page memo starts by describing Trump as a champion of religious liberty and goes on to say that the First Amendment, federal statutes and Supreme Court rulings protect federal employees' rights to religious expression in the workplace. It then describes acceptable forms of religious expression by individual workers and groups of federal workers, including in conversations between federal employees, in interactions with the public and through expressions in areas open to the public. The examples of acceptable forms of religious expression the memo cites are from Christian and Jewish traditions. They include: It also says employees may 'engage another in polite discussion of why his faith is correct and why the non-adherent should re-think his religious beliefs.' It notes, however, that the religious employee should honor any request to end such discussion. Trump administration praised Clinton-era guidance on religious expression But these aren't new policies. Former President Bill Clinton's administration issued similar guidance in 1997. Like the more recent memo, the Clinton-era guidance also permits '(engaging) another in a polite discussion of why his faith should be embraced' and says that, if the speaker is not requested to stop, agencies 'should not restrict or interfere with such speech.' 'In a country where freedom of speech and religion are guaranteed, citizens should expect to be exposed to ideas with which they disagree,' the 1997 memo says. Trump's first administration also issued a memo on religious liberty in 2017. It called for federal agencies to "ensure that they are following' the Clinton-era guidance and referred to it as a 'useful' resource for private employers in accommodating religious expression. In other words, there's 'nothing new' about the guidance, Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Thomas Jipping said. But he said the enforcement of laws protecting religious liberty have been 'inconsistent' across presidential administrations. Jipping referenced a 2015 Supreme Court ruling in favor of religious nonprofits that objected to the contraception mandate in President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act. In his view, the issue is not an oversaturation of religion in public life but rather some 'very aggressive efforts' to remove it. Jipping applauded what he described as the Trump administration's corrective actions. 'Let's face it – there's a lot of folks out there who want religious people to just shut up and go to church,' he said. 'That's never been, to quote a phrase, 'the American way.' That's not freedom.' Others are more skeptical of the Trump administration's actions. The most recent memo is 'very tilted in the direction of recognizing rights of religious expression and very unconcerned or quiet about the problems that might create,' according to George Washington University professor emeritus of law Ira Lupu. He contrasted it with the Clinton-era guidance, which he called 'balanced and fair-minded" in its acknowledgment of both the religious rights of federal employees and the associated risk of religious harassment in the workplace. The memo says, for example, that federal agencies can't refuse to hire Buddhists or 'impose more onerous requirements' on Buddhist job applicants, that an employee can have a Koran on their desk and read it during breaks, that employees can wear religious apparel like crucifixes or hijabs, and that employers may not force a Jehovah's Witness to take an oath that conflicts with their religious beliefs. Lupu noted that the new Trump administration memo does not mention Muslims, Buddhists or other minority religious groups. The Office of Personnel Management spokesperson, however, said the guidance is equally applicable to members of those and other faiths. When asked about the potential for religious coercion, the spokesperson said the memo "makes clear that declining such an invitation should not be a basis for discipline." First Amendment brings 'real tension,' expert says Nelson said he views a 'real tension' between some of the memo's tenets. It cites a 2015 Supreme Court ruling, for example, that found Title VII – a section of the 1964 Civil Rights Act that bans employment discrimination – gives religious practices 'favored treatment' under the law. But the memo then goes on to say employees should "be allowed to engage in private religious expression in work areas to the same extent that they may engage in nonreligious private expression." 'I do think that ... courts may need to deal with that in the years to come,' Nelson said. Though he acknowledged some may 'raise concerns' about the guidance, Princeton University law professor Robert George said he sees 'no such tension or conflict' between the Establishment Clause, which bans the government from favoring religion over non-religion, and the right to free exercise of religion. The Supreme Court's shift away from "strict separationism" has, in his view, protected Americans' right to express their religious beliefs while also making clear that such expression cannot be presented as the viewpoint of the U.S. government or interfere with others' rights. 'So, just as government employees may freely advocate or display symbols of secular causes – think of rainbow buttons or banners, Black Lives Matter insignia and so forth – they may freely express their religious opinions and display religious symbols – subject, as the memo makes clear, to reasonable and viewpoint-neutral time, place and manner regulations,' George said. BrieAnna Frank is a First Amendment Reporting Fellow at USA TODAY. Reach her at bjfrank@ USA TODAY's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
Business Insider
28 minutes ago
- Business Insider
West African island nation launches $90K citizenship by investment program
São Tomé and Príncipe, a West African island nation, has officially joined the growing list of countries offering citizenship through financial contributions, launching a new citizenship by investment (CBI) program aimed at attracting foreign capital. São Tomé and Príncipe launched a citizenship by investment (CBI) program on August 1, 2023. Applicants must contribute financially, with fees varying based on family size and dependents. The program offers inclusive nationality options, excluding North Korean applicants. The small West African island nation's Citizenship by Investment Act came into effect on August 1, marking São Tomé and Príncipe's formal entry into the competitive global market for second passports. Offering more insight into the program's development, Alfredo Trinidade, head of São Tomé and Príncipe's Promotion, Commerce and Investment Agency (APCI), said the initiative's structure sets it apart from conventional citizenship models. 'The CIU will operate as a standalone statutory entity that combines private sector efficiency with government oversight—essentially creating a successful public-private partnership,' he explained. To ensure efficiency, the government has introduced a six-week processing timeline and established the Citizenship Investment Unit (CIU) as a public-private partnership headquartered in Dubai. The CIU will be managed by STP Service Advisory, a newly formed UAE-based firm working closely with the Government of São Tomé and Príncipe. The unit is scheduled to begin accepting applications in the first week of September. Who Can Apply, What It Costs, and What You Get São Tomé and Príncipe's citizenship by investment program adopts an inclusive stance on nationality, allowing applicants from most countries, including Russia and Iran, reflecting the island nation's neutral foreign policy. The only nationality explicitly excluded is North Korean. At the initial stage, all applicants, regardless of whether they are applying as individuals or with dependents, must pay a one-time, non-refundable submission fee of US$5,000. This fee covers the administrative processing of the application and is a standard feature across most CBI programs worldwide. Once an applicant receives an Approval in Principle, the donation component of the investment is triggered. For single applicants, the required contribution is set at US$90,000. For families of up to four members, the total donation increases slightly to US$95,000. Larger families must pay an additional US$5,000 for each extra dependent beyond the fourth member, making the program more inclusive for extended family units while still maintaining competitive pricing compared to other global programs. Upon final approval, a series of government service fees must be paid on a per-person basis. These include US$350 for the issuance of a São Toméan passport, US$150 for a national ID card, and US$250 for the official Certificate of Registration. These costs ensure that each new citizen receives all the legal documentation necessary to exercise the full rights and privileges of São Toméan nationality. The program also accommodates future changes in family composition. If applicants wish to add dependents after initial approval, a resubmission fee of US$5,000 applies. Additional fees include US$10,000 for a spouse and US$5,000 for each other qualifying dependent. A notably lower fee of US$500 is charged for the inclusion of a newborn child. While relatively modest in price compared to many other global programs, São Tomé and Príncipe's offering is designed to attract high-net-worth individuals and families seeking greater global mobility, an additional layer of security, and potential access to future opportunities within Africa and the Lusophone world.
UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
Kremlin agrees to Putin-Trump meeting in comings days
President Donald J. Trump shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 28, 2019, in Osaka, Japan. The Kremlin said Thursday that the pair plan to meet in the coming days. White House Photo by Shealah Craighead/UPI | License Photo Aug. 7 (UPI) -- The Kremlin announced Thursday that a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump will be held in the coming days, as the American leader has been pushing for trilateral cease-fire talks between Moscow and Kyiv. Yuri Ushakov, foreign affairs advisor to Putin, made the announcement to reporters, stating a venue has also been decided upon, in principle, for the Trump-Putin summit, but that it will be announced later, Russia's state-run TASS news agency reported. The meeting will mark the first face-to-face conversation between the world leaders since they spoke on the sidelines of a G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, in 2019. The pair also held a summit in Helsinki in 2018. Since then, their conversations have been via telephone or through envoys. On Wednesday, Trump said he was working to schedule a trilateral meeting between himself, Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky to end Russia's war in Ukraine. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, had met with Putin on Wednesday, and Trump described their meeting as "highly productive" in a post on his Truth Social platform. "Great progress made," the U.S. leader said. Trump has been seeking a cease-fire since his inauguration in January. During his campaign, the American leader repeatedly said he could end the war within 24 hours of returning to office. Amid his second term, the United States, once Ukraine's most ardent supporter, drastically shifted its policies, stating Kyiv would have to give up land to Russia in a cease-fire while pulling back on its military commitments to the besieged ally, demanding that others, especially Europe, it's largest backer, due more. However, Trump's tone has changed slightly as the war has dragged on, and he has begun to direct his ire at Putin for the lack of a cease-fire agreement. Early last month, he lifted a pause he had placed on U.S. military aid transfers to Ukraine. The announcement of the agreement comes a day after The New York Times reported that Trump intends to meet with Putin next week, followed by a meeting with him, Putin and Zelensky sometime after that. Zelensky has been vocal about his willingness for cease-fire talks, and early Thursday said on X that a meeting between the world leaders "can lead to a truly lasting peace." "We in Ukraine have repeatedly said that finding real solutions can be truly effective at the level of leaders," he said in the statement. "Ukraine has never wanted war and will work toward peace as productively as possible. The main thing is for Russia, which started this war, to take real steps to end its aggression." The war between Ukraine and Russia began with a Kremlin invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. Russia also annexed Crimea in February 2014.
