North Korea has said it is not interested in any policies or proposals from South Korea, and denied the possibility of resuming inter-Korean dialogue.
The statement was made by Ms. Kim Yo-jong, Kim Jong-un's younger sister, Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Information Department of the North Korean Labor Party, on July 28.
Ms. Kim Yo-jong criticized South Korean President Lee Jae-myung for continuing to maintain a confrontation policy, saying that Mr. Lee's administration "is no different from its predecessor". She stressed that no matter how Seoul tries, Pyongyang's stance will not change.
Ms. Kim Yo-jong's statement also rejected proposals from South Korea such as inviting Mr. Kim Jong-un to attend the APEC summit in Gyeongju in October. She also called for the dissolution of the Ministry of National Defense, which the two regions are two separate countries.
The North Korean response is seen as a sign of challenge to President Lee Jae-myung's efforts to improve inter-Korean relations, according to a statement from the South Korean presidential office on July 28. The South Korean government has said it will continue to take necessary actions for peace.
Previously, on July 27, President Lee Jae-myung reaffirmed his commitment to strengthen the alliance with the US in many fields at the 72nd anniversary of the North Korean ceasefire in Washington, D.C.
In a speech read on behalf of Veterans Secretary Kwon Oh-eul, President Lee Jae-myung emphasized the role of the United States in defending South Korea, acknowledging the sacrifices of nearly 36,000 American soldiers and tens of thousands of injured and missing people in the three-year inter-ory war (1950-1953).
