Kim Jong-un: "Inter-Korean Relations Could Return to the Spring of Three Years Ago... Depends on South's Compliance with Agreement"

At the 8th Party Congress, Emphasis on "Implementing Inter-Korean Agreements"
"Individual Tourism, Quarantine Cooperation, and Humanitarian Aid Are Non-Essential"
Criticism of South's Military Buildup Including Advanced Weapon Imports

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un delivered a work summary report at the third-day meeting of the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea on the 7th, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 8th.

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, stated at the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party that the future progress of inter-Korean relations depends on the South's attitude toward implementing inter-Korean agreements.

According to North Korea's state media Korean Central News Agency on the 9th, Chairman Kim said in the Central Committee's work summary report from the 5th to the 7th, "Depending on the attitude of the South Korean authorities, inter-Korean relations could return to the new starting point of peace and prosperity, as desired by the entire nation, as they were three years ago in spring, within a short period of time."

Chairman Kim emphasized, "Whether inter-Korean relations are restored and revitalized entirely depends on the attitude of the South Korean authorities, and the rewards will be commensurate with the price paid and the efforts made."

He stated, "At this moment, there is no need to unilaterally show goodwill to the South Korean authorities as before, and they should respond accordingly and move to implement the inter-Korean agreements in proportion to our legitimate demands."

At the same time, Chairman Kim mentioned, "In South Korea, military hostile acts and anti-Republic propaganda campaigns that escalate the situation on the Korean Peninsula continue, making the prospects for improving inter-Korean relations unclear."

Chairman Kim criticized, "Currently, the South Korean authorities are raising non-essential issues such as quarantine cooperation, humanitarian cooperation, and individual tourism, giving the impression that they are interested in improving inter-Korean relations."

In particular, Chairman Kim strongly opposed the South's introduction of advanced weapons and military buildup, accusing them of going against the implementation of military agreements between the North and South.

He said, "If the South Korean authorities want to dispute this, they should first explain the statements made directly by their leader, such as the need to accelerate efforts to acquire and develop advanced military assets, the development of missiles that are more accurate, powerful, and have longer ranges than the ballistic and cruise missiles they already possess, and the development of ballistic missiles with the world's largest warhead weight. They must also convincingly explain the purpose and true intentions behind the continued import of advanced offensive equipment."

The report added that Chairman Kim "sternly warned that when the South Korean authorities continue to pressure us with double standards and unfair perspectives, calling it 'provocation' and so forth, we will inevitably have to respond to South Korea differently."

In a report related to the economic sector, he reiterated the existing position on the demolition of South Korean tourism facilities, saying, "The Kumgangsan area must be transformed into a modern cultural tourism site in our style."

He emphasized, "Only when the South Korean authorities strictly manage and fundamentally eliminate abnormal and anti-unification behaviors will a new path for improving inter-Korean relations based on solid trust and reconciliation open."

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