North Korea has called South Korean President Lee Jae-myung a “hypocrite” over his comments regarding nuclear disarmament on the Korean Peninsula, made during his visit to the United States this week, AFP reported.

Since taking office in June, Lee has sought warmer relations with nuclear-armed North Korea and pledged to build “military trust” with Pyongyang. However, North Korea has repeatedly emphasized that it has no interest in improving ties with Seoul, a key regional ally of Washington.

In a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Lee stated that the alliance between Seoul and Washington would be “elevated to a global level” when “there is a path toward nuclear disarmament, peace, and coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.”

Since the failed summit with the United States in 2019, Pyongyang has repeatedly declared that it will never give up its nuclear weapons and has proclaimed itself an “irreversible” nuclear state.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Lee has “pretended to have a will to restore relations,” but with his recent statements, he has shown “his true face as a confrontation maniac” and a “hypocrite.” The agency described references to “nuclear disarmament” as “a naïve dream, like trying to catch a cloud in the sky.”

Last week in Tokyo, Lee met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, where both confirmed “their shared commitment to the complete nuclear disarmament of the Korean Peninsula.”

KCNA reiterated that North Korea “will remain steadfast in its position not to abandon its nuclear weapons, prestige, and national honor.”

During his meeting with Donald Trump at the White House, Lee asked the U.S. president—who has often highlighted his personal relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un—to help achieve peace between the two Koreas. “The only person who can make progress is you, Mr. President,” Lee said, adding: “If you become a peacemaker, I will support you as a rhythm maker.”

The Kim–Trump summit in Hanoi in 2019 failed after the two sides could not agree on what concessions Pyongyang would make in exchange for sanctions relief.

During his conversation with Lee, Trump—who met with Kim three times during his first term—said he hopes to speak with the North Korean leader again, possibly later this year. Trump famously said that he and Kim “fell in love,” but their meetings did not result in a lasting agreement.

Since then, Kim has felt emboldened by the war in Ukraine, after sending thousands of North Korean soldiers to fight alongside Moscow and securing key support from Russia. | BGNES