North Korea calls Cho Tae-yeol's China visit "begging diplomacy"... Government says "not worth considering"

North Ministry of Foreign Affairs Condemns Foreign Minister's China Visit
Lee Joo-il: "Will Cooperate with China for Peace on the Korean Peninsula"

North Korea criticized Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol's recent visit to China, where he urged a "constructive role" on the Korean Peninsula issue, calling it "begging diplomacy."

Pak Myong-ho, Vice Minister of the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated in a commentary released through the Korean Central News Agency on the 16th, "We cannot simply overlook the insolent behavior aimed at tarnishing the dignity and status of our country," adding, "No matter how much a South Korean diplomat orders anyone to play a constructive role through the outdated diplomatic methods of 20th-century politicians, such as solicitation and begging diplomacy, we will never give up our sovereign rights, which are as vital as our own life." Pak Myong-ho is responsible for China-related affairs in North Korea.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yeol and Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of China
[Photo by Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

Pak criticized, "Going to the capital of the People's Republic of China as a subordinate who eagerly joins the U.S.-led anti-China military alliance and talking about some 'constructive role' clearly shows the shamelessness and brazenness of the Republic of Korea."

Regarding Minister Cho's statement that he does not perceive South Korea-China and South Korea-U.S. relations as a "zero-sum" game and expressed willingness to cooperate with China, Pak argued, "In a situation where the limbs are tightly bound by the 'new Cold War' carriage driven madly by the war driver called the United States, one cannot help but ask whether there is the courage to free oneself and jump off." He added, "This clearly shows that as long as the United States, the malignant root cause of instability on the Korean Peninsula, and its follower South Korea exist, the regional situation can never regain stability."

Minister Cho visited Beijing, China, for two days starting on the 13th and held talks with Wang Yi, China's Foreign Minister. It was the first visit by a South Korean foreign minister in six and a half years. Despite geopolitical challenges including the U.S.-China hegemonic competition, the visit was expected to create momentum for cooperation between South Korea and China. North Korea's release of a commentary just two days after the talks is interpreted as a strong warning against the possibility of cooperation between South Korea and China on North Korean issues as their relations recover. The description of South Korea as a U.S. "subordinate" is seen in the same context.

Lee Joo-il, Deputy Spokesperson of the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dismissed North Korea's claims as "not worth considering" during a regular briefing that day. He added, "Minister Cho urged China to play a constructive role for peace on the Korean Peninsula and North Korean denuclearization during this visit, and China stated that its policy toward the Korean Peninsula remains unchanged," emphasizing, "Our government will continue to seek cooperation with China to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue, which is a shared interest of both countries."

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