Anchor: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's influential sister, Kim Yo-jong, pointed to President Lee Jae Myung by name to slam his administration's rapprochement policy, saying the two Koreas can never become diplomatic partners. South Korea, in response, expressed regret over what it called a "distortion" of its efforts, vowing to open a "new era of peaceful coexistence and shared growth."
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said during a meeting with senior foreign ministry officials Tuesday that Seoul can never be a diplomatic partner to Pyongyang.

In an apparent reference to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's Liberation Day speech, in which he pledged not to seek unification by absorption, Kim said the new administration is pretending an about-face in its policy to seek improved ties with the North.

She continued that Seoul’s confrontational attitude toward Pyongyang has never changed, regardless of whether the government in power “held the signboard of ‘conservatism’ or wore a mask of ‘democracy,’” stressing that Lee is not the sort of man to change the course of history.

The regime leader's sister also took issue with remarks by Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Foreign Minister Cho Hyun saying they consider the North and its military as the country's enemy during their respective confirmation hearings.

Kim reiterated a long-standing claim that Seoul's annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise with Washington, which began on Monday, is training for a war of aggression, referring to the allies' review of a joint operational plan aimed at neutralizing Pyongyang's nuclear and missile attack capabilities.

She also stated that the North will not participate in multilateral diplomacy involving the South, adding that Seoul will have no place in regional diplomatic forums centered around Pyongyang.​

South Korea's presidential office, in response, expressed regret that Kim “distorted” the administration's sincere efforts toward rapprochement, adding that the government's proactive measures to bring about peace are not to benefit only one side, but to achieve stability and prosperity for both Koreas.

Seoul's unification ministry also pledged to leave behind this “era of hostility and confrontation” and open up a “new era of peaceful coexistence and shared growth on the Korean Peninsula," stressing the importance of mutual respect to establish peace and benefit people on both sides.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.