Taeyoungho: "North Korea's Harsh Criticism of South Korea is Judged as Playing with 'Kim Jong-un's Birthday'"

"Expected 'Big US Proposal' in Jeong Eui-yong's Announcement
But It Was Already Submitted... 'South, Don't Scare People'"
"North Judged US Is 'Testing Negotiation Willingness'... Seemed Very Upset"

Tae Yong-ho, former North Korean embassy minister in the United Kingdom

Regarding North Korea's strong criticism of South Korea through a statement by Kim Kye-gwan, Foreign Ministry Adviser, on the 11th, former North Korean Ambassador to the UK Tae Yong-ho analyzed, "From Kim Jong-un's perspective, he must have been angry, thinking that the US or South Korea was playing games using his birthday."

In a post on his blog 'South-North Coexistence Forum' on the 12th, former Ambassador Tae listed the words used by Adviser Kim in the statement, calling them "expressions that should not come from a senior diplomat." He pointed out that to understand why North Korea reacted so harshly, one must look at North Korea's internal structure.

He said, "In North Korea, all agencies are vertically subordinated to Kim Jong-un," adding, "Top-secret matters such as North Korea-US negotiations, nuclear strategy, and strategic weapons development are never shared between departments." He continued, "When a birthday congratulatory letter from President Trump arrived, the Foreign Ministry would have immediately reported it to Kim Jong-un, who would have already known its contents."

Former Ambassador Tae explained, "However, suddenly, Chung Eui-yong, Director of the South Korean National Security Office, had a surprise meeting with US President Donald Trump, and when South Korea notified North Korea that it would deliver an urgent message from that meeting, the North Korean United Front Department likely judged that a new proposal related to the nuclear issue had come from the US and reported to Kim Jong-un to receive approval to accept the message."

He added, "Kim Jong-un must have anxiously awaited President Trump's 'generous offer,' but when the United Front Department reported back, it turned out to be the birthday congratulatory message that the Foreign Ministry had already reported."

Former Ambassador Tae diagnosed, "For North Korea, receiving an urgent message from the US President hastily only to find it was something already delivered, and then realizing that the US was subtly probing through South Korea whether North Korea was eager to negotiate with the US or not, must have felt very displeasing."

He said, "(Kim Jong-un) probably instructed the Foreign Ministry to clearly state North Korea's position to the US this time and firmly warn them not to play such games," adding, "He likely also ordered a warning to the South Korean side not to surprise people and to stay calm."

Former Ambassador Tae evaluated, "In the end, the US threw out a bait, but North Korea realized the US's move late and did not take the bait."

He also pointed out, "In the future, whether it is the North Korean United Front Department or our government, when exchanging positions on US matters rather than inter-Korean issues, there should be sufficient communication," warning, "Otherwise, as North Korea expressed, it could scratch and create a sore."

Meanwhile, Adviser Kim stated in his statement on the 11th that he personally received a letter from US President Trump containing birthday congratulations for Kim Jong-un. He said there is a direct communication channel between North Korea and the US (without South Korea's mediation) and fiercely criticized South Korea using words such as 'premature excitement,' 'hysteria,' and 'foolishness.'