North Korea Rejects Talks with South under New Presidency
Kim Yo Jong Says Pyongyang Has "No Interest" in Dialogue with Seoul Despite Lee Jae Myung’s Overtures; Accuses South of Loyalty to US Alliance and Absorption Agenda
North Korea, PUREWILAYAH.COM - North Korea has declared that it will not engage in negotiations with South Korea under the leadership of newly elected President Lee Jae Myung, stating that there are no fundamental changes in Seoul's policy direction.
In a strongly worded statement published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and senior official in the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, dismissed recent conciliatory gestures from Seoul as superficial and insincere.
North Korea: South Remains Bound to 'Unification by Absorption'
Kim asserted that despite some confidence-building measures taken by the Lee administration, such as halting anti-DPRK loudspeaker broadcasts, stopping leaflet drops, and permitting limited individual visits to the North, these steps do not reflect a true policy shift.
She harshly criticized what she called the "enslavement" of South Korean politicians to the “departed spirit of unification by absorption,” a term long used by Pyongyang to condemn South Korea's reunification policies. According to Kim, this ideological foundation remains unchanged under the new government.
Overtures by Seoul Deemed Cosmetic and Futile
Kim recounted that the South Korean government had suggested ending confrontational dynamics, restoring collapsed ties, and reviving inter-Korean peace, yet she insisted Pyongyang sees these as mere rhetorical flourishes, unsupported by substantive change.
She added that South Korea's continued dependence on the U.S. alliance and its hostile stance toward the North mirror the policies of previous administrations.
Reaffirming North Korea’s position, Kim stated,
“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 with the ROK.”
She concluded that relations between the two Koreas have now "irreversibly gone beyond" the traditional concept of “fellow countrymen”, suggesting a complete abandonment of the inter-Korean reconciliation framework.
Implications for Korean Peninsula Diplomacy
The statement marks a significant setback for President Lee Jae Myung, who had signaled interest in reviving diplomacy with Pyongyang and repairing decades of fractured ties.
North Korea’s outright rejection further entrenches the deep divide on the Korean Peninsula and underscores the challenges facing any future peace initiatives.
It remains unclear whether Seoul will pursue further diplomatic openings or adjust its approach in response to Pyongyang's firm stance. (PW)
Source: TASS