S. Korea's presidential office rebuts Kim Yo-jong's commentary, says gov't will usher in "peaceful coexistence"

Yet another criticism from North Korea on Wednesday, this time decrying the South's peace efforts.

While here in Seoul, the Presidential Office clarified its conciliatory overtures toward the North seeking stability for the two Koreas.

Moon Hye-ryeon has the details.

South Korea's Presidential Office has responded to North Korea's criticism of its "efforts to restore inter-Korean trust," stating that the administration's proactive measures for peace are not intended to "appease anyone."

On Wednesday, the top office emphasized that "the government will leave behind the era of hostility and confrontation and open a new era of peaceful coexistence and shared growth on the Korean Peninsula."

The Ministry of Unification added that "mutual respect between the South and the North is essential to building a Korean Peninsula peace that benefits people on both sides."

North Korea's Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of Kim Jong-un, had earlier launched sharp criticism against President Lee, declaring that South Korea "cannot be a diplomatic counterpart" to Pyongyang.

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

In her remarks, Kim accused the Lee administration of "putting on" what she called "serious efforts" to appear interested in improving inter-Korean 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 further argued that decades of South Korea's "rotten political system" show that, whether under conservative or liberal governments, Seoul's stance toward the North has not changed.

Kim denounced the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercise with the United States as "a rehearsal for invasion" and highlighted a new operational plan, OPLAN 5022, which she claimed targets North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities at an early stage.

The plan, signed last year to replace OPLAN 5015, is designed to prepare the allies for potential conflict on the Korean Peninsula, reflecting North Korea's more advanced nuclear and missile threats.

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.