 |
| ▲ President Lee Jae Myung (L) speaks during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on April 6, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) N Korean official-S Korea
(LEA) N. Korean official says Kim Yo-jong's statement on S. Korea is 'clear warning'
(ATTN: ADDS more details in paras 4, 6-9)
SEOUL, April 7 (Yonhap) -- A North Korean official said Tuesday that a statement by Kim Yo-jong, issued after President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret over drone incursions, should be seen as a clear warning, dismissing Seoul's response as a "wishful interpretation."
Jang Kum-chol, North Korea's first vice foreign minister, issued a statement after Seoul officials positively assessed Kim's statement Monday. The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un described Lee as "frank and broad-minded" following his expression of regret over drone incursions by individuals into the North.
Jang said the South Korean side's interpretation of the statement as an "unprecedented favorable response" would amount to a "pipe dream" and a "wishful interpretation,"
"The core of the statement was a clear warning," Jang said, adding that he interpreted Kim Yo-jong's message as a call for South Korea to acknowledge its "wrongdoing" and refrain from approaching North Korea.
He said South Korea's identity as North Korea's "most hostile state" remains unchanged, regardless of Seoul officials' remarks or actions, citing South Korea's participation in U.N. resolutions condemning North Korean human rights violations.
North Korea condemned the recent U.N. resolutions on its human rights record as a "grave political provocation," warning that countries supporting the measures would be taken into account.
The sharp response came after Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, said Lee's expression of regret over drone flights to North Korea demonstrated his "strong" will to restore trust between the two Koreas and ease military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Experts said North Korea's swift response to Lee's remarks appears to indicate that Pyongyang still attaches importance to inter-Korean relations despite its hard-line stance toward Seoul, raising cautious hope for progress in inter-Korean ties.
In her latest statement, Kim referred to Lee as "president of the Republic of Korea," marking what is believed to be the first time Pyongyang has used his official title since he took office in June last year.
(END)
(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved
