North Korea's First Response to the Korea-US Summit... Experts Say "It Reflects Consideration of North Korea-US Dialogue"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] North Korea issued its first response through state media following the South Korea-US summit. It condemned the termination of the missile guidelines as a "deliberate hostile act" and verbally attacked President Moon Jae-in, who announced the termination, saying, "That pitiful sight is truly disgusting." Experts analyzed that since the statement was not issued directly by the authorities, it likely reflects considerations for future North Korea-US talks.

On the 31st, the Korean Central News Agency published an article titled "What is the Aim of Terminating the Missile Guidelines?" by international affairs commentator Kim Myung-chul, criticizing the termination of the missile guidelines and the results of the US review of its North Korea policy.

The article pointed out, "The US's actions, which not only approved revisions to the missile guidelines multiple times to lift the warhead weight restrictions but also removed the range limit threshold, are deliberate hostile acts," and added, "This is both a concentrated expression of the hostile policy towards North Korea that the US is clinging to and evidence revealing its shameless double standards."

It also criticized the Biden administration's new North Korea policy, stating, "Many countries now realize that the so-called 'pragmatic approach' and 'maximum flexibility' towards North Korea devised by the Biden administration are nothing but mere trickery."

Regarding President Moon, the article referred to him as "a South Korean official who, while boasting 'I am pleased to announce the termination of the missile guidelines,' has thrust his head into the crosshairs of regional countries," and condemned him, saying, "After causing trouble, he is consumed by guilt, anxiously listening and spying on reactions here and there; that pitiful sight is truly disgusting."

Experts analyzed that North Korea's response has an element of "level adjustment" and is likely intended with future North Korea-US dialogue in mind.

Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies said, "In form, the fact that the statement was released through the external news agency Korean Central News Agency, and under the pen name Kim Myung-chul, makes it appear as criticism of the South Korea-US summit, but it is intended to convey that 'it is not an official government statement.' If North Korea had completely criticized the entire summit and abandoned dialogue, it would not have released such a personal commentary at all," he said.

Professor Lim Eul-chul of the Institute of Far Eastern Studies at Gyeongsang National University said, "'By issuing the de facto first response to the South Korea-US summit results in a somewhat ambiguous manner as an 'international affairs commentary,' it shows that the North Korean side is leaving some room for North Korea-US relations," he evaluated, noting that the commentary was not issued under the names of officials who have officially expressed positions on the US, such as Vice Director Kim Yo-jong, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Son-hui, or Foreign Ministry Director Kwon Jong-geun, but under a commentator's name.

Professor Lim analyzed, "Although the resumption of North Korea-US talks remains uncertain, it cannot be said that North Korea is completely uninterested in dialogue with the US. The brief but strong criticism of President Moon reconfirms that North Korea prioritizes its response to the Biden administration over inter-Korean dialogue."

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