South Korea denounces Kim Jong Un's sister for her remark while rejecting talks offer

Seoul has denounced Pyongyang’s outright rejection of South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s proposal to send special envoys for talks amid heightened tensions. North’s state-run agency KCNA had quoted Kim Jong Un's powerful sister Kim Yo Jong calling the proposal “tactless and sinister”.

Calling North’s remark “senseless” and “very rude”, spokesperson for South Korea’s Blue House said that Seoul will no longer tolerate the North's unreasonable acts and words. Its Defence Ministry said in a statement that North's threats would violate several inter-Korean agreements and will surely pay the price if such actions are taken.

On June 16, North Korea has confirmed that it destroyed the inter-Korean liaison office and cut all communication lines with South Korea amid rising tension in the Korean peninsula. North’s state-run media KCNA reported that the joint liaison office was “completely ruined” in the wake of cutting communication lines with South Korea.

Read: North Korea Blows Up Joint Liaison Office With South Amid Rising Tensions

Leaflet controversy

North Korea had earlier threatened to permanently shut liaison office with South saying Seoul failed to stop activists from floating 'anti-Pyongyang' leaflets. The inter-Korean relations took a major hit after defectors started floating the leaflets to criticise Kim Jong-un’s regime over human rights violations and nuclear ambitions.

Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, had warned South Korea to stop defectors from throwing anti-Pyongyang leaflets near the de-militarised zone. On June 4, Kim Yo issued a statement saying Seoul will be “forced to pay a dear price” if they let the activities continue. In the statement published by KCNA, Kim’s sister called the defectors “human scums” and “illiterate”.

Jae-in urged North Korea to not reverse the progress made on peace front and return to talks amid rising tension in inter-Korean relations. In a meeting with senior aides, Moon said that the promises of peace on the Korean peninsula by Chairman Kim Jong Un before 80 million people cannot be turned back.

“North Korea should not cut communications, raise tension and try to go back to the past era of confrontation,” said the President.

Read: Moon Jae-in Urges North Korea To Keep Peace Deals, Return To Talks

(With agency inputs)