Kim Yo-jong’s remark jolts presidential office and Unification Ministry, while People Power Party condemns it as ‘begging for peace’

[Financial News] The North Korean leadership responded quickly and favorably to the South Korean government’s measures announced on the 18th regarding the recent intrusion of a drone from the North. Even so, concerns about a possible armed clash between the two Koreas have not eased. On the 19th, North Korea sought to douse expectations by widely publicizing the operational deployment of a new 600mm super-large multiple rocket launcher capable of striking all of South Korea.
On the same day, Kim Yo-jong, deputy department director of the Workers’ Party of Korea, said she highly valued Minister of Unification Jeong Dong-young’s expression of regret over the drone intrusion and his pledge to prevent a recurrence. Her single remark left the presidential office and the Ministry of Unification somewhat encouraged.
An official at the presidential office stated, "We hope both Koreas will refrain from actions that heighten tensions in the border areas and work together to build peace." A Ministry of Unification official noted, "We take note of the fact that North Korea responded swiftly to our government’s expression of regret and announcement of measures to prevent a recurrence of the drone incident."
Contrary to hopes for inter-Korean reconciliation, North Korea staged a show of force by displaying 50 of the rocket launchers at the venue of the 9th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea. Kim Jong Un, President of the State Affairs Commission, even drove one of the launch vehicles himself. He warned, "When the use of this weapon becomes a reality, not even any so-called ‘divine protection’ will be able to save them."
The opposition also continued to accuse the Lee Jae-myung administration of begging North Korea for peace. Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, said at a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly that the government was going too far in trying to appease the North. He criticized, "They are reportedly applying the crime of aiding the enemy to our own citizens who flew the drone, and even pushing to revise the law to ban drones from being sent to the North."
Minister Jeong had pledged the previous day to preemptively review and pursue measures to prevent a recurrence of the drone incident, including designating no-fly zones and partially restoring provisions of the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement. He also said that not only National Intelligence Service and Defense Intelligence Command personnel, but even civilians involved in the drone incident targeting the North would all face charges of aiding the enemy.
The People Power Party, immediately after Minister Jeong announced his measures the previous day, argued that the September 19 military agreement had already been nullified by North Korea’s provocations. The party criticized, "It is not a will for peace but a lowly form of begging to take the lead in restoring an agreement that the other side has already broken." The party further warned that the more the Lee Jae-myung administration shows a submissive attitude, the more unreasonable demands North Korea will make. Kim Kyung-soo, Financial News

rainman@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-soo Reporter