Ms. Kim Yo-jong, younger sister of North Korean President Kim Jong-un, declared that South Korea's hopes of improving bilateral relations are just illusions and cannot become reality. KCNA news agency quoted her as saying that expectations from Seoul have "gone astray from the beginning".
Ms. Kim Yo-jong - Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Information Commission of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea - issued a statement to refute the assessment of a South Korean official that there is still a possibility of resuming dialogue between the two Koreas. This statement by the South Korean side is based on Ms. Kim Yo-jong's recent reaction to allegations of drones encroaching on North Korean territory.
According to KCNA, Ms. Kim Yo-jong affirmed that all Seoul's "far-fetched dream" of so-called "inter-Korean relations" could not come true. She believes that South Korea misunderstood the message from Pyongyang and nurtured unfounded expectations.
Previously, an official from the South Korean Ministry of Unification - the agency in charge of relations with North Korea - told the press that Ms. Kim Yo-jong seemed to have softened her tone compared to the weekend, when calling on Seoul to investigate unmanned aerial vehicles believed to have entered North Korean airspace. However, Ms. Kim Yo-jong's latest statement shows that a tough stance is still maintained.
In a late-release statement, Ms. Kim Yo-jong accused South Korea of taking "serious provocative actions" by infringing on North Korea's sovereignty. She reiterated criticism related to unmanned aerial vehicles and requested the South Korean government to issue an official apology, and pledged not to let similar incidents recur.
Ms. Kim Yo-jong emphasized that this message clearly shows an uncompromising attitude towards actions that Pyongyang considers to threaten security and sovereignty.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's administration is seeking to improve relations with North Korea, but approaches from Seoul have been continuously rejected by Pyongyang, showing that the prospects for dialogue between the two sides continue to face many barriers.
