[Weekly Focus] Kim Yo-jong releases back-to-back statements toward Seoul, Washington; what does this suggest?

North Korea broke its silence and issued back-to-back statements aimed at both South Korea and the U.S. this week.

Seoul has been pondering whether to downsize joint military drills, while Washington maintained its stance that it is open to dialogue with Pyongyang.

For more on this, we invite our defense correspondent, Kim Bo-kyoung.

Bo-kyoung, welcome.

Thank you for having me.

Let's delve a little bit deeper into what Kim Yo-jong said earlier this week. It marked the North's first official statement on the Lee administration.

Right, as Seoul tries to ease tensions and resume dialogue with Pyongyang, Kim Yo-jong released a statement on Monday and said President Lee is no different from his predecessor in blindly adhering to the ROK-U.S. alliance.

While saying that Seoul's recent suspension of anti-Pyongyang broadcasts is not something that deserves any appreciation, she also said that Pyongyang is not interested in any proposal put forward by Seoul.

The Unification Ministry said this shows the high walls of distrust between the two Koreas, emphasizing that it will continue to pursue reconciliation with the North.

July 28th, 2025

"The government will stay steady and consistent in pursuing reconciliation, cooperation, and peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, without overreacting to the North's responses."

The Presidential Office also issued a similar message, saying it will consistently take the necessary actions to make a peninsula without hostility and conflict.

Regarding Kim Yo-jong's remarks, one expert said the regime is asking more from Seoul, especially regarding its alliance with the U.S.

"The message points to a more fundamental issue—the nature of the South Korea-U.S. alliance. It suggests that the future of inter-Korean dialogue and the restoration of relations will depend on how much autonomy South Korea can exercise from the U.S. in managing its relationship with the North."

And after Kim's remarks, the unification minister talked about downsizing ROK-U.S. drills, right?

Right, Minister Chung Dong-young said he will propose adjusting the scale of Seoul-Washington joint military drills to the President.

South Korea and the U.S. conduct two major joint drills every year the Freedom Shield in March, and the Ulchi Freedom Shield in August.

Both are Command Post Exercises, war games in which military leadership executes wartime scenarios.

They are accompanied by various field training exercises, with U.S. strategic assets, also, at times, deployed to the Peninsula.

Reporters have been asking the Defense Ministry whether there might be any changes regarding the joint drill.

Its response as of Thursday is that there have been no changes made yet to planned joint drills.

But one expert says points to a case where a drill was suspended in 2018, and there could be changes made even at the last minute if the Korean and the U.S. leaders agree to do so.

"Back in 2018, South Korea and the U.S. suspended joint military drills amid improving inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korea relations. While changing the current exercise schedule may be difficult, if both leaders agree, a decision to adjust or pause the drills could still be made to support broader peace efforts."

As far as I remember, Kim Yo-jong issued a message to Washington the next day which was Tuesday. What was at the core of her message?

She urged the U.S. to approach North Korea based on new thinking, and asked that Pyongyang be recognized as a nuclear-weapon state.

She did admit that personal ties between the leaders Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un are "not bad, " but ruled out talks on Pyongyang's denuclearization.

Still, the White House reaffirmed its readiness for dialogue with the regime's leader on that subject.

The expert said Pyongyang is asking Washington to make a decisive shift for talks to resume, tossing the ball in Trump's court.

"It is calling for new thinking and the search for an exit strategy: to recognize North Korea as a nuclear-armed state and begin a new round of nuclear arms reduction talks based on that premise."

Until now, we've focused on Pyongyang's messages toward Seoul and Washington. How is the regime's relationship with Moscow going?

Their ties continue to strengthen, with Russia having launched direct passenger flights between Moscow and Pyongyang for the first time in about three decades, and Pyongyang keeps providing arms to Moscow for its war in Ukraine.

In fact, according to a report by South Korea's National Intelligence Service on Wednesday, support from Moscow and Pyongyang's troop dispatches, have been cited as reasons behind Pyongyang's boosted confidence.

The regime is considering itself to have a significantly more advantageous strategic position than before, which apparently led to Kim Yo-jong's back-to-back statements.

Meanwhile, the relationship between Pyongyang and Beijing seems to have weakened a bit.

North Korea's Central News Agency did show Kim Jong-un paying tribute at the Friendship Tower recently symbolizing the ties between them, on the occasion of the 72nd anniversary of the 1953 Armistice Agreement.

The report on it was shorter than before, though, hinting at somewhat strained relations between the two.

Alright, this is all the questions I have for you, Bo-kyoung. Thank you for the wrap-up.

Thank you.