North Korea has firmly rejected reports that it dismantled border loudspeakers used for propaganda broadcasts toward South Korea, calling such claims unfounded and dismissing Seoul’s hopes for a conciliatory gesture as nothing more than a “pipedream.” Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un and a senior official within the ruling Workers’ Party, said the North has never removed the equipment and has no plans to do so.
Her remarks directly countered assessments from South Korean military officials, who recently suggested that they had observed North Korean forces taking down some of the devices along the border. In Seoul, those reports were interpreted as a possible sign of goodwill during a period when the South Korean government has sought to reduce tensions with its northern neighbour.
Kim also criticised recent modifications to the annual joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, describing them as “futile” adjustments that fail to mask what she called the allies’ enduring “hostile intent.” She emphasised that, regardless of changes to the drills, North Korea views them as an ongoing threat to its security and sovereignty.
Through the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim asserted that she remains certain Seoul’s policy toward Pyongyang is fundamentally unchanged and will never shift in a way that benefits North Korea. Her statement comes despite South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s recent outreach, including scaling back some military activities, which many in Seoul viewed as a possible opening for renewed inter-Korean dialogue.
Kim further dismissed any possibility of talks with the United States, rejecting reports that hinted at such engagement as “false suppositions.” Her comments signal a continued hardline stance from Pyongyang, dimming prospects for near-term diplomatic progress with either Seoul or Washington.
