Ministry of Unification: "North Korea is not the main enemy but a coexistence of dialogue and threat" ..APEC Kim Jong-un invitation 'not considered'

[Financial News] The government responded on the 28th to Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the North Korean Workers' Party, criticizing the 'North Korean main enemy theory' within South Korea by stating that the defense white paper does not specify North Korea as the 'main enemy'.
Gu Byeong-sam, spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, stated in a regular briefing that "North Korea holds a dual status as both a threat to our security and a partner for dialogue and cooperation for peaceful reunification."
Previously, Deputy Director Kim argued, "If South Korea, which unilaterally declared our country as the main enemy and promoted an extreme confrontation atmosphere in the past, now expects to overturn all the results it brought upon itself with a few sentimental words, there could be no greater miscalculation."
 Currently, the defense white paper uses the expression 'the North Korean regime and military are our enemy'. The term 'main enemy' was first introduced in the 1995 defense white paper and has since been changed to 'enemy' or 'direct military threat'.  However, the position that North Korea is the main enemy is still maintained, especially among conservatives and the opposition party.
Deputy Director Kim also criticized the mention of inviting Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit to be held in Gyeongju at the end of October as "nurturing vain delusions."
Jeong Dong-young, Minister of Unification, expressed a positive stance during a personnel hearing on the 14th when Kim Ki-woong, a member of the People Power Party, asked, "Do you have any thoughts on inviting Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, as an observer (observer country) to APEC?" Gu, the spokesperson, stated that at this point, "the invitation to APEC for Chairman Kim is not being officially considered."
He further conveyed that regarding Deputy Director Kim's level of criticism against the South, "there were no particularly hostile or mocking expressions. It was not reported in the Rodong Sinmun, which means it was not disclosed to the North Korean people." 
 
rainman@fnnews.com Reporter Kim Kyung-soo