Kim Yo-jong dismisses S. Korea as diplomatic partner, targets President Lee

North Korea has issued a pointed message against South Korea's new administration as joint military drills with the U.S. continue.

This comes as Seoul and Washington kicked off their annual summertime joint military exercise this week.

Our Moon Hye-ryeon starts us off.

North Korea's Kim Yo-jong has launched sharp criticism against President Lee Jae Myung, saying South Korea "cannot be a diplomatic counterpart" to Pyongyang.

According to the regime's state-run Korean Central News Agency, Kim, the powerful sister of Kim Jong-un, convened a meeting with senior Foreign Ministry officials on Tuesday to convey her brother's foreign policy directives.

In her remarks, she accused the Lee Jae Myung administration of making what she called "serious efforts" to appear interested in improving ties, but claimed Seoul's "confrontational intent" remains unchanged.

She singled out President Lee's recent comment that small acts of goodwill could rebuild trust between the two Koreas, dismissing it as "delusion and a pipe dream".

Kim went further, saying North Korea has witnessed decades of what she described as South Korea's "rotten political system," arguing that whether under the conservative or liberal government, Seoul's stance toward the North has not changed.

In her words, as reported by state media, "Lee Jae Myung is not the kind of great man who can alter the flow of history."

She also criticized South Korea's unification, defense, and foreign ministers by name, citing their past remarks that the North's regime and military are an enemy.

On military drills, Kim denounced the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercise between Seoul and Washington that began on Monday as "a rehearsal for invasion".

She claimed the allies are reviewing a new operational plan that would seek to neutralize Pyongyang's nuclear and missile capabilities and expand attacks.

Kim underscored North Korea's intent to sideline Seoul in global diplomacy, instructing the Foreign Ministry to focus instead on countering what she called "the most hostile nations" and those aligned with them, saying South Korea would not even be given a minor role in regional diplomacy.

Kim's remarks come as Pyongyang prepares to convene its Supreme People's Assembly on September 20, where economic and legal issues are on the agenda, though the possibility of constitutional changes has not been ruled out.

Moon Hye-ryeon, Arirang News.