"One Pushed Aside, One Impeached"... North Korea Mocks South Korea-US-Japan Leaders

Opposition to the Establishment of the Korea-US-Japan Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat

North Korea criticized the strengthening of South Korea-US-Japan cooperation as the "Era of Triple Destruction," mocking the political crises of the three countries' leaders. It appears to be wary of the institutionalization of South Korea-US-Japan cooperation, including the cooperation secretariat.

On the 19th, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) mentioned the establishment of the South Korea-US-Japan cooperation secretariat in a commentary, claiming it is "an attempt to deepen the roots of discord and confrontation on the Korean Peninsula and in the Asia-Pacific region, and to seize political and military dominance over the region based on a military bloc that has already evolved into a nuclear alliance."

It continued, "It will only lead to the normalization of strong retaliatory responses," and "The unprecedented confrontation frenzy has brought about catastrophic results, such as our Republic possessing powerful aiming devices and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that constantly target the United States, and the establishment of a just strategic structure in the Northeast Asia region," threatening.

In particular, it mocked the political crises of the three leaders who led the strengthening of South Korea-US-Japan cooperation. The agency said, "Those involved in the Camp David simulation last August have completely lost public support in their respective countries," adding "One has already been ousted from the prime minister's position, another is about to relinquish the presidency, and the other is facing impeachment." This was a jab at Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stepping down, US President Joe Biden nearing the end of his term, and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol facing political difficulties.

The agency argued, "The era of triple cooperation is turning into the 'Era of Triple Destruction,'" and "The miserable fate of those who initiated the triple cooperation clearly shows that the era of triple cooperation is a bleak era with no prospects."