Kim accused Seoul of “decades of hostility” and dismissed President Lee’s offer of goodwill initiatives as “delusion and a pipe dream.”

“South Korea cannot be regarded as a diplomatic partner,” Kim said, calling Lee’s outreach “insincere and historically blind.”

The comments coincide with the launch of the Ulchi Freedom Shield, an annual joint military drill between South Korea and the United States, which Pyongyang has condemned as “a rehearsal for invasion.”

Kim also named several South Korean cabinet ministers in her critique, accusing them of aggressive rhetoric and reinforcing the North’s perception of Seoul as a hostile force. She further instructed North Korean diplomats to shift focus away from the South and instead prioritize engagements with what she called “truly strategic or adversarial nations.”

Background:

President Lee Jae-myung, elected earlier this year, has attempted to adopt a balanced approach to Pyongyang combining pressure with offers of humanitarian cooperation. However, his efforts have largely been met with silence or rejection.

This latest rebuke from Pyongyang underscores a continued shift in North Korea’s foreign policy posture, favoring a more confrontational tone with the South while strengthening ties with Russia and China.

The North has recently resumed missile launches and weapons testing, and is reportedly expanding military cooperation with Moscow in defiance of U.N. sanctions.

Volodin, a trusted associate of President Vladimir Putin, delivered greetings from the Russian president and expressed appreciation for North Korea’s backing of Russia’s military efforts in Ukraine.

Earlier in the week, Putin had a phone conversation with Kim, during which he discussed upcoming negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled to take place in Alaska on Friday.

North Korea’s official news agency reported that Kim responded to a letter from Putin, which Volodin had personally delivered. The message marked the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule.

In his letter, Kim referenced the historic ties between North Korean and Russian troops, stating they had forged “friendship and unity” in battle against a “common enemy,” though he did not specify whom he meant.

Both countries have acknowledged the presence of North Korean forces aiding Russia’s military operation aimed at regaining control of the Kursk region.

In June, South Korea’s intelligence agency suggested that North Korea might be preparing to send additional troops to assist Russia.