A North Korean first vice foreign minister described Kim Yo-jong's statement on South Korea as a 'clear warning,' dismissing Seoul's positive assessment as a 'wishful interpretation.' The remarks by Jang Kum-chol follow President Lee Jae Myung's expression of regret over drone incursions into the North. He urged South Korea to acknowledge its wrongdoing and refrain from approaching North Korea.
Jang Kum-chol, North Korea's first vice foreign minister, issued a statement on Tuesday describing Kim Yo-jong's remarks as a 'clear warning.' He rejected Seoul officials' view of it as an 'unprecedented favorable response' as a 'pipe dream' and 'wishful interpretation.'
Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong-un, called President Lee Jae Myung 'frank and broad-minded' after his expression of regret over individuals' drone incursions into the North. Jang maintained that South Korea remains North Korea's 'most hostile state,' citing its role in U.N. resolutions condemning Pyongyang's human rights record.
North Korea labeled recent U.N. human rights resolutions a 'grave political provocation' and warned that supporting countries would be held accountable. Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said Lee's regret demonstrated a 'strong' will to restore inter-Korean trust and ease peninsula tensions.
Experts noted that Pyongyang's quick response suggests it still values inter-Korean relations despite its hard-line stance, offering cautious hope for progress. Kim Yo-jong referred to Lee as 'president of the Republic of Korea' for the first time since he took office in June last year.
