Unprecedentedly Hardline Cheong... Foreseeing a Complete Overhaul of North Korea Policy

Blue House Public Communication Secretary Strongly Criticizes Kim Yo-jong's Statement... Criticizes Undermining of President Moon's Intentions, Focus on Policy Changes

[Asia Economy Reporters Ryu Jeong-min and Son Seon-hee] On the 17th, the Blue House directly rebuked Kim Yo-jong, First Deputy Director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, for her disparaging remarks about President Moon Jae-in, calling them rude, and issued a warning to North Korea. This signals that the future policy toward North Korea is likely to be comprehensively revised.

Although the Blue House's stance had been to keep the lines of dialogue open, it appears that after observing a series of actions by North Korea on this day, they felt compelled to reassess the situation.

In particular, the strong displeasure expressed over Kim Yo-jong?who was originally an 'icon' of inter-Korean relations?continuing to launch verbal attacks directly targeting President Moon reflects this atmosphere. Describing Kim Yo-jong's remarks as "ill-considered behavior" and "unreasonable acts" marks an unprecedented official condemnation of North Korea by the Blue House.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In this regard, the Blue House announced that from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on the same day, an emergency video conference of the National Security Council (NSC) Standing Committee was held. During the meeting, they analyzed North Korea's statements related to South Korea and discussed response measures.

The NSC meeting was attended by the Director of the National Security Office, as well as the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, National Defense, and Unification, the Director of the National Intelligence Service, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the first and second deputy directors of the Security Office. The government expressed that it would respond sternly depending on North Korea's future actions or provocations.

Kim Yoo-geun, Secretary General of the NSC, stated, "The government strongly regrets North Korea's unilateral demolition of the Inter-Korean Liaison Office building, which was established under the 2018 Panmunjom Declaration." The Blue House particularly pointed out that North Korea bears full responsibility for the situation and warned that if the situation worsens, it will "respond strongly." This suggests that the Blue House's policy toward North Korea may be entirely revised going forward.

The problem is that North Korea is following a 'my way' path. Using the issue of leaflet distribution by some defector groups as a pretext, it is systematically undermining agreements made between the South and North Korean leaders. The termination of the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement is also expected to be the next step. The Kaesong Industrial Complex and the Mount Kumgang tourism zone, once symbols of economic cooperation and peace, are likely to be transformed into North Korean military posts. North Korea's aggressive drive is related to calculations beyond the scope of inter-Korean relations.

This is not unrelated to the fact that U.S. President Donald Trump is focusing on domestic political issues ahead of the November presidential election. Experts diagnose that North Korea's actions are intended not only to provoke a change in the U.S.'s 'indifference mode' but also to lay groundwork targeting the new power structure in the U.S. after November. This is why even if the government resolves the leaflet issue, it cannot bring about fundamental changes in the situation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Moon delivered a message on the 15th during the senior secretaries and aides meeting and the 20th anniversary ceremony of the June 15 Inter-Korean Joint Declaration. He emphasized, "Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, and I cannot turn back on the promise of peace on the Korean Peninsula made before 80 million compatriots." Blue House spokesperson Kang Min-seok explained, "President Moon's firm belief is that the June 15 Joint Declaration, the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration, and further the September 19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration, which South and North Korea have jointly achieved, can never be reversed."

President Moon's message to keep the lines of communication open has been overshadowed by North Korea's successive aggressive moves. The Blue House cannot simply wait for changes in the situation. The threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula is expected to continue for the time being, and domestic public opinion must also be considered.

The somewhat fortunate aspect is that Chairman Kim is not taking the forefront. Instead, his younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, is leading the tense inter-Korean situation. It is also noteworthy that the NSC Standing Committee meeting was chaired by Director Chung Eui-yong rather than President Moon. This suggests that both South and North Korea are leaving open the possibility of a 'final card'?a direct negotiation between President Moon and Chairman Kim to resolve inter-Korean issues.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.