Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, on Friday (August 18th) rejected an offer of economic aid from South Korea. This, formulated by the government of this country, offered economic aid in exchange for the denuclearization of North Korea.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol this week offered North Korea a food, energy and infrastructure aid package if it abandoned its nuclear weapons program. This offer is a pinnacle of absurdity “Reacted Kim Yo-jong, the sister of Kim Jong-un.
slim chance
Indeed, analysts judged the chances of Pyongyang accepting this offer, first made in May 2022 by Mr. Yoon during his inaugural speech, very slim, as North Korea has long asserted that it will never accept. such a market. “ When you think that the plan to trade “economic cooperation” for our honor, (our) nuclear weapons, is Yoon’s big dream, hope and plan, we realize that it is really simple and still childish “, said Kim Yo-jong, quoted by the official North Korean agency KCNA.
” It’s clear we’re not going to sit face to face with him “, she added, before accusing the South of recycling proposals already rejected by the North. ” No one trades his destiny for corn cakes “, she also said. The South Korean presidential office expressed its ” deep regret “in the face of statements” derogatory by Kim Yo-jong, but added that the economic aid offer still stands. ” Such an attitude on the part of North Korea contributes neither to the peace and prosperity of the Korean peninsula, nor to its own future. It only promotes its isolation on the international scene “, said the office again.
Retaliation ” deadly »
Last week, Pyongyang threatened to retaliate deadly against South Korea, which it holds responsible for a recent outbreak of Covid-19 on its territory. This threat came as in July Kim Jong-un declared that his country was ” ready to deploy » its nuclear deterrent force in the event of a military confrontation with the United States and South Korea. On Wednesday, Pyongyang also fired two cruise missiles.
According to Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute, Kim Yo-jong’s statements ” clearly reaffirm that Pyongyang will never give up nuclear weapons. As a result, the policies of Mr. Yoon’s government will inevitably require a ” fundamental revision “, observes Mr. Cheong again.
In 2022, North Korea conducted a record series of weapons tests, including firing an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time since 2017. Washington and South Korean officials have repeatedly warned that the North will prepared to resume nuclear testing.
(with AFP)
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