North Korea's First Response to 'South Korea-US Summit' After 10 Days... Using Commentators to Moderate Tone

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] North Korea issued its first response through state media 10 days after the South Korea-US summit. Among various outcomes of the summit, it singled out the termination of missile guidelines, condemning the US as engaging in "deliberate hostile acts," and verbally attacked President Moon Jae-in, saying his "wretched appearance is truly disgusting." However, the fact that North Korean authorities did not issue a direct statement and instead used the voice of an ‘international affairs commentator’ is interpreted as a measure keeping in mind the possibility of future North Korea-US talks.

On the 31st, the Korean Central News Agency published an article titled "What is the Aim Behind the Termination of Missile Guidelines?" by international affairs commentator Kim Myung-chul in its newspaper.

Commentator Kim is the head of the Korea-US Peace Center, an external organization of North Korea, and is also known as the ‘unofficial spokesperson’ of Kim Jong-il, the former National Defense Commission Chairman.

Regarding the termination of missile guidelines, he criticized, "The US’s actions, which not only lifted the warhead weight restrictions but also removed the range limit threshold, are deliberate hostile acts." About the Biden administration’s North Korea policy, he said, "Many countries now realize that the so-called ‘pragmatic approach’ and ‘maximum flexibility’ toward North Korea devised by the Biden administration are nothing but cunning tricks."

He also wrote about President Moon’s statement after the South Korea-US summit, where Moon said he "happily announces the termination of missile guidelines," commenting, "The wretched sight of someone who commits a wrongdoing and then, overwhelmed by guilt, anxiously watches and listens to reactions from all sides is truly disgusting."

This article, North Korea’s first response to the South Korea-US summit, is harshly critical in content but is notable for using the voice of an external expert rather than the authorities.

Jung Sung-jang, head of the North Korea Research Center at the Sejong Institute, analyzed, "Because there have been recent contact movements between South and North Korea and between North Korea and the US, this is to express dissatisfaction without breaking the current atmosphere." Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies also said, "The fact that it is not issued in the name of the authorities is intentional," adding, "However, it is also an indirect warning that the termination of missile guidelines will be addressed when talks resume."

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