North Korea has resumed its pressure campaign against South Korea and the U.S. through a statement by Kim Yo Jong, Deputy Director of the Publicity and Information Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea. Analysts suggest that Pyongyang is testing both countries by demanding a fundamental shift in mindset while closely monitoring their responses.
North Korea Urges U.S. to Recognize Its Nuclear Status, Calls for New Thinking
In her statement on Tuesday, Kim declared that if the U.S. remains fixated on its failed past approaches and refuses to accept the new reality, any future meetings between North Korea and the U.S. will be nothing more than wishful thinking on the American side.
She referenced the denuclearization talks during the North Korea–U.S. summits in 2018 and 2019, criticizing the White House’s stance that negotiations could resume on the premise of denuclearization.
Kim emphasized that North Korea has now achieved an irreversible status as a nuclear power, and that the geopolitical landscape on the Korean Peninsula has shifted. She insisted that acknowledging this undeniable fact must be the foundation for all U.S. predictions and considerations moving forward.
The term geopolitical environment suggests that, unlike in 2018 when North Korea negotiated with the U.S. under China’s backing, it now aligns more closely with Russia. This shift may indicate a reduced dependence on the U.S. and a strengthened negotiating position due to Russia’s active support.
Kim’s remarks appear to completely reject both former President Donald Trump’s overtures toward North Korea and the current U.S. administration’s stance. She noted that Washington shows no signs of change compared to the failed denuclearization talks of 2018–2019.
tKim stated that it would be beneficial for two nuclear-armed nations to explore new avenues of contact based on fresh thinking. Further noting that This implies that negotiations between North Korea and the U.S. will be challenging unless Washington abandons its paternalistic approach and treats Pyongyang as an equal.
North Korea Demands Recognition of Two Separate States, Pressures South to Abandon Past Approaches
The day before, Kim issued her first official statement regarding the Lee Jae Myung administration, asserting that regardless of what policies South Korea implements, there will be no inter-Korean meetings, displaying a hardline stance.
Kim dismissed a series of conciliatory measures taken by the Lee administration, such as controlling the distribution of anti-North Korean leaflets and halting loudspeaker broadcasts. She claimed that these are self-inflicted problems for South Korea. She noted that how they address them is their own concern; they have merely reversed actions that should never have been taken in the first place, adding that these matters are not subject to external evaluation.
This can be interpreted as a message indicating that, like the U.S., the Lee administration’s North Korea policies are insufficient to create meaningful dialogue.
Notably, she asserted that the relationship between North Korea and South Korea has irrevocably moved beyond the concept of shared ethnicity, suggesting adherence to the two separate states theory first articulated during the party’s plenary meeting in December 2023. This indicates that North Korea will not respond to gestures based on past paradigms of inter-Korean relations.
In essence, Kim conveyed that unless the South Korean government abandons the legacy of inter-Korean relations centered on ethnicity and unification and recognizes North Korea as an official state, there will be no progress. This reflects the position of Kim Jong Un, the General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
North Korea’s Offensive Likely to Shape Foreign Policy at the 9th Party Congress
Kim’s statement came after North Korea rejected President Trump’s letter in June and fully acknowledged the conciliatory measures taken by the Lee administration. Pyongyang likely sees this as an opportune moment to exert pressure from a position of strength.
North Korea plans to establish a new foreign policy at the 9th Workers’ Party Congress, expected to take place by the end of the year or early next year. The timing of this pressure campaign suggests that Pyongyang aims to test how Seoul and Washington will respond to its high demands while restructuring its policies.
Park Won Gon, a professor at Ewha Womans University, stated that Kim’s repeated statements are interconnected. Further adding that North Korea has carefully and strategically timed these messages. He noted that new thinking is a key concept, which could be interpreted as a call for nuclear disarmament negotiations, urging the U.S. to move beyond previous summit frameworks.
However, Professor Park cautioned that political victory is crucial for President Trump, who may now find it difficult to easily concede to North Korea’s demands. Further noting that Trump likely recalls receiving more support when the 2019 summit collapsed due to his decision than when the 2018 summit appeared successful.