Kim Yo-jong Criticizes Lee Jaemyung by Name: "Not a Figure to Change History"... Presidential Office Stresses "Peaceful Coexistence"

Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of Korea and the younger sister of North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un, has criticized President Lee Jaemyung by name for the first time since the launch of the new administration.

According to the Korean Central News Agency on August 20, Deputy Director Kim stated, "Whether under the banner of conservatism or wearing the mask of democracy, South Korea's confrontational ambitions toward our republic have been inherited without the slightest change," adding, "Lee Jaemyung is not the kind of figure who can change the course of this history."

Previously, on August 15, President Lee had delivered a Liberation Day address, declaring, "We will not pursue unification by absorption, and I make it clear that we have no intention of engaging in any hostile acts." However, Deputy Director Kim responded, "Even if the authorities put on a conciliatory front, and try to wrap their foul-smelling confrontational intentions in the guise of peace, a needle hidden in a sack cannot be concealed."

In response, an official from the presidential office stated, "The proactive measures for peace on the Korean Peninsula are not taken for the benefit of one side or out of consideration for anyone, but are intended for the stability and prosperity of both South and North Korea," adding, "The government will leave behind the era of hostility and confrontation and will surely open a new era of peaceful coexistence and joint growth on the Korean Peninsula." A Ministry of Unification official also emphasized, "We believe it is important for both South and North Korea to respect each other in order to build peace on the Korean Peninsula that benefits all residents," and added, "Our government has already outlined the basic direction of its North Korea and unification policy in the address commemorating the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, and will continue to make consistent efforts to implement this policy going forward."

Experts responded with caution. Yang Moojin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said, "Although the level of criticism is high, harsh terms such as 'puppet' have been avoided," analyzing that "this reflects both fear and wariness about the potential spread of support for the Lee Jaemyung administration's peace policy toward North Korea." Hong Min, Senior Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, also assessed, "This reveals North Korea's discomfort with South Korea gaining attention in the international community, including the U.S.-ROK alliance and multilateral forums, by using peace and inter-Korean relations as key themes."