Blue House Urges Kim Yo-jong to "Stop Unnecessary Slander and Pursue Peaceful Coexistence"

“Slandering the President Does Not Help Build Mutual Trust”
“Active Efforts as a Pacemaker to Resume North Korea-U.S. Dialogue”

On August 21, the Blue House urged Kim Yo-jong, Director of the Organization and Guidance Department of the Workers’ Party of North Korea, to "cease unnecessary slander" after she directly criticized President Lee Jae-myung by name over the reduction in South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises. However, despite North Korea’s provocative rhetoric, the Blue House stated that it would continue to act as a "pacemaker" for U.S.-South Korea coordination and the resumption of U.S.-North Korea talks.

As President Lee Jae-myung commutes to the Blue House, the era of the Blue House has officially resumed after 3 years and 7 months, with the phoenix flag raised at the Blue House in Seoul on December 29, 2025. Photo by Jo Yongjun

A Blue House official commented on Kim's statement, saying, "Defamatory remarks about our government and the president do not help to build mutual trust," and added, "We urge the North to stop unnecessary slander and to move forward together toward peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula."

The official continued, "The government will consistently pursue a policy of peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula based on mutual respect." The official also emphasized, "As a key party to peace on the Korean Peninsula, we will maintain close cooperation with the United States, and as a pacemaker, we will continue our active efforts toward resuming U.S.-North Korea dialogue."

On the previous day, Kim Yo-jong released a statement titled "Seoul’s pitiful situation that can no longer engage in its favorite war games" and took particular issue with the significant reduction of the South Korea-U.S. joint exercise "Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS)" under the directive of U.S. President Donald Trump. Kim criticized South Korea for scaling back the drills at President Trump’s "mere word," characterized the South Korea-U.S. alliance as a "master–servant relationship," and called the South Korean military a "puppet army."

President Lee was also directly targeted. Kim disparaged President Lee’s statement in which he welcomed President Trump’s decision to scale down the joint exercises, calling it "flattery." She also criticized President Lee’s simultaneous emphasis on independent national defense and securing autonomous military capabilities as "two-faced and contradictory behavior."

It is also noteworthy that Kim Yo-jong has delivered different messages to the United States and South Korea. In her earlier message directed at the U.S., she downplayed the significance of the scaled-back joint exercises but spoke positively about the relationship between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Trump, signaling the possibility of dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea remains open. In contrast, she has repeatedly used harsh language toward South Korea, demonstrating an unwillingness to recognize the South’s role as a mediator or facilitator.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.