Kim Yo Jong, deputy director of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, has once again rejected the conciliatory approach toward North Korea adopted by President Lee Jae-myung administration, labeling it a deceptive appeasement offensive. While her statements appear to focus on criticizing South Korea, analysts suggest that her true intention is to drive a wedge between the U.S. and South Korea ahead of their upcoming summit, as reported on Wednesday.
The Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim held discussions with key Foreign Ministry officials on Tuesday and delivered her main remarks. Given that Kim frequently issues personal statements on foreign affairs, this report is considered less significant than her usual communications.
However, the agency emphasized that Kim’s harsh criticism of the South Korean government’s deceptive appeasement offensive, while conveying the supreme leader’s foreign policy intentions, underscores that her remarks reflect Kim Jong Un’s will.
Kim cited recent key statements made by President Lee regarding North Korea, indicating that she was closely monitoring the government’s message. Nevertheless, she maintained a cold stance, asserting that South Korea remains unchanged regardless of the administration in power, and reaffirmed her position of dismissing the Lee administration’s overtures toward the North.
Notably, Kim referred to President Lee without his title, declaring that President Lee is not a figure who can alter the course of history. While such language typically signifies North Korean hostility, she refrained from personal attacks or mockery of the president.
Kim’s statements reflect a significant awareness of U.S.-South Korea relations. She targeted the ongoing U.S.-South Korea joint exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), which began on Monday, claiming that the Lee administration merely echoes its predecessors’ claims of defensive training, describing it as a clear reflection of Seoul’s duplicitous nature.
Rather than addressing the government’s adjustments to the outdoor training schedule of the U.S.-South Korea joint exercise, Kim criticized the exercise itself for being conducted in the same format as before, serving as a means of U.S.-South Korea containment against North Korea.
Kim also stated that South Korea is America’s obedient attack dog, emphasizing that while ostensibly extending a hand of reconciliation, the joint military exercises reveal plans to eliminate North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities at an early stage and to expand attacks into its territory under the new joint operation plan, Operational Plan (OPLAN) 5022. This highlights South Korea’s subordination to the U.S. and underscores its inability to independently pursue a North Korea policy.
OPLAN 5022 refers to the new joint operation plan that the U.S. and South Korea revised after North Korea declared it had completed its nuclear capabilities in 2017. It extends the existing kill chain concept, which targets North Korea before it can launch nuclear weapons, to include measures that neutralize the possibility of nuclear use through network destruction—often referred to as an expanded kill chain.
By raising concerns about this plan, Kim aims to emphasize that as long as the U.S. and South Korea do not abandon their military goals of regime change and denuclearization in North Korea, they lack any genuine willingness to engage in dialogue. This can be interpreted as a demand for the suspension or abolition of the U.S.-South Korea joint exercises.
Sensitive to Discussions on North Korea’s Denuclearization at U.S.-South Korea Summit… Also Intended to Shake Up the U.S.
On August 14, North Korea expressed its displeasure over the U.S.-South Korea joint exercises, with Kim asserting that they have no intention of improving relations with South Korea, a loyal servant and faithful ally of the U.S. She claimed that this conclusive stance will be enshrined in North Korea’s constitution.
Kim’s emphasis on South Korea’s subordinate relationship to the U.S. appears to be a warning against the close ties between the two nations. The U.S. and South Korea are expected to discuss their policy directions toward North Korea, including North Korea’s denuclearization, during their summit in Washington, D.C., upcoming on August 25. If their positions align, the likelihood of North Korea’s demands being accepted diminishes.
Despite this, Kim’s intensified criticism of South Korea in the context of its relationship with the U.S. may signal to President Trump, who has shown a willingness to engage in dialogue, that he should consider talks without South Korea. This suggests that North Korea aims to highlight its lack of dependence on South Korea, potentially influencing Trump’s decision to bypass it. It also indicates that North Korea is mindful of Trump’s unpredictable nature.
Currently, North Korea demands that the U.S. recognize its status as a nuclear power. Through this, it seeks to shift negotiations toward nuclear disarmament rather than complete denuclearization, aiming for long-term benefits. Observers believe that if the U.S. and South Korea reaffirm their goal of promoting North Korea’s denuclearization during their summit, it will effectively reject North Korea’s position.
In a statement to the U.S. last month, Kim asserted that if the personal relationship between the leaders of North Korea and the U.S. aligns with the goal of achieving denuclearization, it can only be interpreted as mockery of the other party, indicating that if the U.S. aims for denuclearization, North Korea will not respond to dialogue.
Moon Seong-mook, director of the Unification Strategy Center at the Korea National Strategy Institute, analyzed that Kim’s statements express cumulative dissatisfaction with the U.S.-South Korea joint exercises and an intention to drive a wedge between the two countries ahead of the summit. He noted that since North Korea’s denuclearization will ultimately be addressed at this summit, they aim to clearly assert their position in order to secure a more favorable stance in future geopolitical negotiations.