N Korea : North Korea said South Korea and the United States missed a chance to improve relations and are risking a “serious security crisis” by choosing to escalate tensions as they conduct joint military drills.
Kim Yong Chol, a general and politician who played a leading role during historic summits between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and former U.S. President Donald Trump, criticized South Korea and the United States for responding to Pyongyang’s goodwill with “hostile acts”.
The statement comes a day after Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, warned Seoul and Washington over annual joint military drills set to begin this week. For the second day in a row, North Korea did not answer routine calls on inter-Korean hotlines, South Korea said on Wednesday.
U.S. President Joe Biden has said it is up to Pyongyang to respond to his pledge to seek “practical” ways to engage. North Korea has also said it is open to diplomacy, but that the United States and South Korea have clung to hostile policies, such as continuing to hold regular military drills.
“The Kim regime is shifting blame for its struggles to restart the economy after a long, self-imposed pandemic lockdown,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha University in Seoul. “Pyongyang is also trying to pressure South Korean presidential candidates to express differences with U.S. policy on sanctions and denuclearization,” he added.
