Kim Yo-jong Dismisses Lee Administration's Easing Measures as "Futile Dream"

Ministry of Unification: "Normalization and Stabilization Measures Will Be Pursued Consistently"

Kim Yo-jong, Vice Department Director of the Workers' Party of Korea and younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, stated on August 14 that the series of measures taken by the Lee Jae-myung administration to ease tensions with North Korea are "nothing but a futile, empty dream and fail to draw our attention." In response, the Ministry of Unification commented, "In order to shift the 'confrontational' inter-Korean relations of the past three years to a period of 'goodwill,' we must approach the issue with resilience and a long-term perspective."

Yonhap News

In her statement, Vice Director Kim said, "Expecting or speculating on a change in our perception toward the most hostile country in the world is no different from hoping for flowers to bloom in the desert." Previously, the Lee Jae-myung administration had halted all loudspeaker broadcasts near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in June, and more recently, it completely dismantled the loudspeakers.

Kim emphasized, "We have never dismantled the loudspeakers deployed along our border, nor do we have any intention to do so." She added, "With regard to joint military exercises, they are making every effort to appear as if they are easing tensions by talking about adjustments or delays, but such actions are not worthy of recognition and will ultimately be in vain." She also dismissed the possibility of communication between North Korea and the United States as a "delusional dream." Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, analyzed the statement as "effectively a death sentence for the possibility of resuming inter-Korean or North Korea-U.S. dialogue."

Regarding this, the Ministry of Unification stated, "In order to ease tensions and build peace on the Korean Peninsula, both Koreas need to demonstrate sincerity and take sustained actions." The ministry added, "The government will continue to consistently pursue normalization and stabilization measures so that inter-Korean relations can become mutually beneficial."