North Korea Rebuffs New South Leader's Attempt to Ease Tensions
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a statement through the state-run Korean Central News Agency on Monday, rebuked Lee for what she called 'blind trust' in the US. Continued joint military drills show that Lee is no different from his predecessor, she wrote.
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USA Today
30 minutes ago
- USA Today
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's sister slams peace overture from South Korea
Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean dicator Kim Jong Un, blasted southern peace overtures as "a few sentimental words." SEOUL − North Korea has no interest in any policy or proposals for reconciliation from South Korea, the powerful sister of its leader Kim Jong Un said, in the first response to peace overtures by the South's liberal President Lee Jae Myung. There had been cautious optimism in the South that the North might respond positively and even show willingness to return to dialogue after Pyongyang also shut off its propaganda loudspeakers, a move that Lee said came sooner than expected. Kim Yo Jong, a senior official of North Korea's ruling party who is believed to speak for its leader, said on July 28 that Lee's pledge of commitment to the South Korea-U.S. security alliance showed he was no different from his hostile predecessor. More: North Korea's Kim Jong Un vows to win anti-US battle as country marks Korean War anniversary "If South Korea expects to reverse all the consequences of (its actions) with a few sentimental words, there could be no greater miscalculation than that," Kim said in comments carried by the official KCNA news agency. Lee, who took office on June 4 after winning a snap election following the removal of hardline conservative Yoon Suk Yeol over a failed attempt at martial law, has vowed to improve ties with Pyongyang that had reached their worst level in years. Among gestures to ease tension, Lee suspended loudspeaker broadcasts blasting anti-North propaganda across the border and banned the balloon drops of leaflets by activists that had angered Pyongyang. More: 'Outer space nuclear war': Russia, North Korea blast Trump's Golden Dome missile defense Kim, the North Korean official, called those moves merely a reversal of ill-intentioned activities South Korea should never have initiated. "In other words, it's not even something worth our assessment," she said. "We again make clear the official position that whatever policy is established in Seoul or proposal is made, we are not interested, and we will not be sitting down with South Korea and there is nothing to discuss." South Korea's Unification Ministry, charged with handling ties between the two countries, said Kim Yo Jong's comments "show the wall of distrust between the South and the North is very high as a result of hostile and confrontational policy over the past few years." More: Who are Iran's allies? What to know after US attack South Korea will keep up efforts for reconciliation and cooperation with the North, ministry spokesperson Koo Byoung-sam told a briefing. Its new unification minister, Chung Dong-young, said he planned to advise Lee to adjust joint military drills with the United States, Yonhap said. The exercises have been criticised by Pyongyang. Still, Lee, whose government is embroiled in tough negotiations with Washington to avert punishing tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump, has called the U.S. alliance the pillar of South Korea's diplomacy. Seoul would make efforts in all areas to "strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance that was sealed in blood," Lee said on the anniversary of the Korean War armistice on Sunday. North Korea held a parade in its capital of Pyongyang to mark the event it calls victory day, though state media reports indicated it was on a smaller scale than in some previous years. Columns of marching soldiers held portraits of commanders, including state founder Kim Il Sung, with spectators and frail veterans in historic army uniforms in attendance in state media pictures, which did not show major weapons in the parade. A formation of military jets flew over the Pyongyang Gymnasium square trailing streaks of flares and fireworks. State media made no mention of leader Kim Jong Un's attendance. The two Koreas, the United States and China, which were the main belligerents in the 1950-53 Korean War, have not signed a peace treaty.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Kim Jong Un's Sister Reacts to South Korea's Olive Branch
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's powerful sister has publicly rejected recent overtures from South Korea's new president, calling them a "serious miscalculation." Kim Yo Jong, a senior official in the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, dismissed peace initiatives from South Korea's new President Lee Jae-myung as inadequate. Kim dismissed Seoul's peace initiatives—including halting propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts along the border, restricting anti-North Korea leaflet activities, and offering opportunities for individual South Koreans to visit the North—and reaffirmed Pyongyang's refusal to engage in talks. "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 a reason to meet nor an issue to be discussed," Kim said in a statement carried by North Korean state media on July 28. South Korean officials responded by proposing adjustments to joint military exercises with the U.S.—a key point of contention for Pyongyang—in hopes of creating space for renewed dialogue. Newsweek contacted South Korea's foreign ministry via email for comment on Monday. Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong arrives for the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium in South Korea on February 9, 2018. Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong arrives for the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at the Pyeongchang Stadium in South Korea on February 9, 2018. PATRICK SEMANSKY/AFP via Getty Images Why It Matters Kim Yo Jong's statement marks the North's first official response to President Lee's diplomatic efforts since taking office in June. The rejection arrives at a critical juncture as Seoul's new government seeks to deescalate regional tensions and revive stalled inter-Korean relations. The dismissal from the North squashes hopes for near-term thawing of relations but also indicates Pyongyang's continuing pivot toward partnership with Russia, complicating efforts by the U.S. and its allies to counter North Korea's weapons development and contain growing security threats in Northeast Asia. What To Know In her official statement, Kim said: "If [Seoul], which had stoked the atmosphere of extreme confrontation in the past after unilaterally declaring the DPRK as its principal enemy, expected that it could reverse all the results it had made with a few sentimental words, nothing is more serious miscalculation than it." She added: "No matter how desperately the Lee Jae-myung government may try to imitate the fellow countrymen and pretend they do all sorts of righteous things to attract our attention and receive international attention, there can be no change in our state's understanding of the enemy and they can not turn back the hands of the clock of the history which has radically changed the character of the DPRK-ROK relations." Lee's administration has sought to signal goodwill by scaling back frontline anti-Pyongyang activities. It also repatriated six North Koreans earlier this month who had drifted into South Korean waters in March and May and had expressed their desire to return, Seoul's Ministry of Unification said. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and his wife Kim Hea-kyung are pictures at his inauguration at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on June 4, 2025. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and his wife Kim Hea-kyung are pictures at his inauguration at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on June 4, 2025. Jeon Heon-Kyun/Pool/Getty Images Lee's government has reiterated a commitment to dialogue and peace. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young revealed plans to propose scaling down or altering the format of joint South Korea-U.S. military drills, a measure intended to address the North's grievances and support ongoing diplomatic outreach. Since the collapse of high-profile nuclear diplomacy between Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump in 2019, North Korea has intensified development of nuclear weapons. Pyongyang officially declared a two-state system on the peninsula and cut off major communication links with the South. North Korea has also strengthened ties with Russia, supporting Moscow's military actions and reportedly receiving economic cooperation in return. Despite President Trump's claims of positive personal diplomacy with Kim Jong Un, North Korea has not responded to calls for renewed talks. For American policymakers, Pyongyang's intransigence complicates efforts to curb its nuclear program and maintain stability in Northeast Asia. U.S. security strategies are further challenged by North Korea's growing alignment with Russia and ongoing missile developments around the peninsula. What People Are Saying Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, said in a statement on July 28: "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 a reason to meet nor an issue to be discussed." South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said during a press conference on July 28, reported by The Korea Times, that he will propose adjusting the scale of South Korea-U.S. joint military drills. "The issue will be a key topic of discussion at the working-level National Security Council meeting scheduled for tomorrow [Tuesday]." Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University, told Associated Press on July 28: "Kim Yo Jong's comments are an effort to advance national pride by portraying North Korea in a superior position, despite its economic struggles and international pariah status. She also seeks to justify Pyongyang's weapons programs and divide Seoul and Washington by criticizing upcoming military exercises." What Happens Next South Korean officials are expected to meet with U.S. defense counterparts to discuss the proposed adjustments to upcoming joint military exercises.
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Rev. Al Sharpton responds to Trump accusation that he was paid to endorse Kamala Harris
MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton responded to claim made by President Trump on Monday during MSNBC's "Morning Joe," denying that he was paid to endorse former VP Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
