North Korean Prime Minister Kim Jong Un announced on Thursday that he would restore dormant communication with South Korea a few days after Seoul called on Pyongyang to do so.
His remarks were made just days after North Korea launched a newly developed hypersonic missile into the Sea of Japan off the east coast, conducting a third weapons test in just over two weeks.
Diplomats said the UN Security Council will meet privately later Thursday on the latest tests of the recluse nation at the request of the United States, the United Kingdom and France.
Hotline restoration
The state mouthpiece KCNA reported Thursday that Kim said he was ready to reopen the cross-border hotline. On the second day of the meeting, he spoke at the North Korean rubber stamp parliament.
North Korea cut the hotline in early August, just weeks after the two countries restored the hotline on July 27. The North Korean gesture was a clear retaliation for the joint military training between South Korea and the United States that began on August 10.
On September 26, South Korea’s Ministry of Unification sought to restore its dormant communications channels as a starting point for resuming negotiations to end the 1950-53 Korean War, which stopped in a ceasefire rather than peace. Prompted to. Treaty.
The South Korean ministry welcomed Kim’s remarks on cross-border communications on Thursday and said he would prepare for the restoration of the hotline, which he said was necessary to discuss many open issues. He added that “stable operation” of the channel is expected.
North Korea cut off communications in June 2020 after the failure of the Peace Summit, and then blew up the Inter-Korean Liaison Office building just inside the border, which was built to improve communications. ..
Accusation from Pyongyang
The ministry did not comment on Mr Kim’s other remarks on Thursday. It included him criticizing South Korea for its relationship with the United States. According to an Associated Press translation, Kim also accused Seoul of “surrendering to begging for outside support and cooperation while seeking international cooperation to serve the United States.”
Kim also changed his “hostile policy” against North Korea while seeking talks aimed at dismantling North Korea’s nuclear and missile program in exchange for easing US sanctions. He accused him of continuing his own military activities.
Kim said the Biden administration “adopted a more cunning method and, according to a translation via Reuters,”
A spokeswoman for the US State Department, Jarina Porter, said on September 28: [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea], And we also call on North Korea to engage in dialogue. “
In his speech at the UN General Assembly on September 21, President Moon Jae-in called for the formal end of the Korean War and proposed that the two countries make a symbolic declaration of peace. However, North Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister Daesung said the call was premature because there was no guarantee that the United States would withdraw its “hostile policy.”
Two other tests were conducted before North Korea launched a hypersonic missile on September 28. On September 11th and 12th, we test-launched new long-range cruise missiles capable of attacking targets approximately 932 miles (1,500 km) away. As a result, all USFJ facilities will be placed within the attack range. Just a few days later, Pyongyang launched two ballistic missiles from the train, hitting a target target 497 miles (800 kilometers) away.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Mimi Nguyen Ly is an Australian-based reporter. She covers world news with a focus on US news. She holds a bachelor’s degree in optometry and visual science from the University of New South Wales. Contact her at [email protected]