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| ▲ President Lee Jae Myung (L) speaks during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on April 6, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) |
N Korean official-S Korea
N. Korean official says Kim Yo-jong's statement on S. Korea is 'clear warning'
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," noting that "the core of the statement was a clear warning."
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.
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