North Korea says US remarks on inter-Korean affairs could impact presidential polls

North Korea warned the United States against commenting on inter-Korean affairs and said that it is in Washington’s interest if it wants to smoothly conduct the presidential elections. US State Department had expressed its disappointment over North Korea’s decision to suspend communication lines with South and had urged for diplomacy and cooperation.

According to the state-run KCNA, Kwon Jong Gun, director-general for US affairs at North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, called the remark of US State Department “ridiculous” and “useless”. Kwon reportedly said that no one is entitled to talk about inter-Korean relations as it pertains to the internal affairs. 

“If the U.S. pokes its nose into others' affairs with careless remarks, far from minding its internal affairs, at a time when its political situation is in the worst-ever confusion, it may encounter an unpleasant thing hard to deal with,” Kwon was quoted as saying.

North Korea decided to suspend all communication lines with the South saying Seoul failed to stop activists from floating 'anti-Pyongyang' leaflets. According to media reports, the decision to cut the communication lines was made by Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un, along with Kim Yong Chol, a former hard-line military intelligence chief who Seoul believes was behind two attacks in 2010 that killed 50 South Koreans.

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KCNA had reported the suspension of communication lines, including military communication, from June 9. Quoting North Korean officials, KCNA said that the South Korean authorities connived at the hostile acts against Pyongyang while trying to dodge heavy responsibility with nasty excuses.

Legal action on activists

On June 10, the South Korean government announced to press charges against the activist groups that have been throwing anti-Pyongyang leaflets near the de-militarised zone. South Korea’s Unification Ministry said in a statement the groups violated the agreement between the leaders of the North and the South and created tension.

Read: North Korea Cuts Communication Lines With South Korea Over Anti-Kim Jong Un Leaflets

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(With agency inputs)