Influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Friday (September 24th) that it was "
admirable
" that Seoul offered to officially end the Korean War, but demanded that the South first abandon its "
policies. hostile
”towards Pyongyang.
Read also Korea: Seoul and Pyongyang launch ballistic missiles on the same day
These remarks by Kim Yo Jong, reported by the official Pyongyang news agency KCNA, respond to recent calls by South Korean President Moon Jae-in to declare an official end to the 1950-53 conflict that ended in a truce, and not by a peace treaty, leaving the two parties technically at war for more than half a century. In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week, Moon Jae-in proposed to declare the conflict over, stressing that this would "
make irreversible progress on denuclearization and usher in an era. of complete peace
”.
A key political advisor to her brother, Kim Yo Jong, said the statements made "
no sense
" as long as "
double-dealing standards, prejudice and hostile politics
" were in place. "
For the end of the war to be declared, mutual respect must be maintained and prejudice, entrenched hostile politics and double standards must first be removed,
" she said. She added that such a declaration "
would not hold water and change nothing
" under current conditions, but that the North would be ready to discuss improving ties between the two Koreas if Seoul gave up its hostility.
Last week, Kim Yo Jong accused Moon Jae-in of "
slander
" after missile fire from the two Koreas. North Korea has fired missiles twice this month alone, one involving a long-range cruise missile and the other involving short-range ballistic missiles. Moon Jae-in called the recent fire from Pyongyang a "
provocation
" as he oversaw the successful test firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) last week, making the South one of the few nations have this advanced technology. Kim Yo Jong responded by condemning "
Seoul's illogical attitude which describes its similar behavior as legitimate action to support peace,and ours as a threat to peace
".
Read alsoNorth Korea carries out test firing of a new "long-range cruise missile"
Communications between the North and the South have been largely cut off since the second unsuccessful US-North Korea summit in Hanoi in February 2019, with then-US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un failing. not to agree on the terms of an agreement.