North Korea says South Korea’s overtures ‘great miscalculation’
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North Korea rejects Seoul’s push for dialogue: ‘no greater miscalculation’
Kim Yo-jong, a senior North Korean ruling party official, said Lee’s pledge of commitment to a South Korea-United States security alliance showed he was no different from his hostile predecessor. Lee took office on June 4 after winning a snap election following the removal of hardline conservative Yoon Suk-yeol over his failed martial law attempt.
Kim Yo-jong, a senior North Korean ruling party official who is believed to speak for the country’s leader, said on Monday that Lee’s pledge of commitment to a South Korea-United States security alliance showed he was no different from his hostile predecessor.
“If South Korea expects to reverse all the consequences of [its actions] with a few sentimental words, there could be no greater miscalculation than that,” Kim warned in comments carried by the official KCNA news agency.
Lee, who took office on June 4 after winning a snap election following the removal of hardline conservative Yoon Suk-yeol over his failed martial law attempt, has vowed to improve ties with Pyongyang that have reached the worst level in years.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has vowed to improve ties with Pyongyang. Photo: Presidential Office/EPA
Chang Yong-seok, a senior researcher at Seoul National University’s Institute for Peace and Unification Studies, said North Korea wanted the South to take specific steps if it genuinely sought to reduce tensions.
North Korea rejects South’s peace moves as ‘great miscalculation’
The remarks mark the first official response to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s attempts to ease tensions. Lee has sought to improve strained ties by halting anti-North propaganda broadcasts and banning activist leaflets. Kim Yo Jong, a senior official in the ruling Workers’ Party, criticized Lee’s commitment to the South Korea-U.S. alliance, saying it proves he is no different from his predecessor.
The remarks mark the first official response to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s attempts to ease tensions.
Kim Yo Jong, a senior official in the ruling Workers’ Party, criticized Lee’s commitment to the South Korea-U.S. alliance, saying it proves he is no different from his predecessor.
“If South Korea expects to reverse all the consequences of its actions with a few sentimental words, there could be no greater miscalculation than that,“ she said in a statement carried by state media.
Lee, who took office in June, has sought to improve strained ties by halting anti-North propaganda broadcasts and banning activist leaflets.
However, Kim dismissed these gestures as mere reversals of hostile actions that should never have occurred.
“We again make clear the official position that whatever policy is established in Seoul or proposal is made, we are not interested,“ she said.
South Korea’s Unification Ministry acknowledged the deep distrust between the two sides but pledged to continue efforts for reconciliation.
“The wall of distrust between the South and the North is very high as a result of hostile and confrontational policy over the past few years,“ a ministry spokesperson said.
Despite the North’s rejection, Seoul remains cautiously optimistic, noting Pyongyang’s earlier decision to silence its own propaganda loudspeakers.
Meanwhile, North Korea marked the Korean War armistice anniversary with a military parade in Pyongyang, though state media did not report leader Kim Jong Un’s attendance.
The two Koreas technically remain at war, as the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. – Reuters
Six killed in Bangkok market after gunman opens fire
The fatalities include the gunman who took his own life, police said. The five people killed by the gunman were security guards at the market, it said. No tourists were killed or injured in the shooting incident, a police official said. In October 2023, a 14-year-old suspect used a modified handgun to kill two people and injure five others at a luxury mall.
The fatalities include the gunman who took his own life, Charin Gopatta, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, told Reuters.
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“Police are investigating the identity of the person and the motive for the incident,” Thai police said in a statement. The five people killed by the gunman were security guards at the market, it said.
No tourists were killed or injured in the shooting incident, said Sanong Saengmani, a police official in Bangkok’s Bang Sue district, where the market that mainly sells agricultural produce is located.
Tourism is a key economic driver in Thailand, Southeast Asia’s second largest economy, where growth has been sluggish and such incidents can potentially dampen sentiment.
In video footage shared by police, a suspect in a white hat and a backpack slung on his chest is seen walking through a parking lot at the market.
Gun violence and gun ownership are not uncommon in Thailand. In October 2023, a 14-year-old suspect used a modified handgun to kill two people and injure five others at a luxury mall in central Bangkok.
A year earlier, a former police officer killed 36 people , including 22 children, in a gun-and-knife attack at a nursery in eastern Thailand.
Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Chayut Setboonsarng; Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by David Stanway and Michael Perry
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North Korea says South Korea’s overtures ‘great miscalculation’
Kim Yo-jong, a senior North Korean ruling party official, said Lee’s pledge of commitment to South Korea-US security alliance shows he is no different from his hostile predecessor. Lee has vowed to improve ties with Pyongyang that had reached the worst level in years. Lee suspended loudspeaker broadcasts blasting anti-North propaganda across the border and banned the flying of leaflets by activists that had angered Pyongyang. There has been cautious optimism in the South that the North may respond positively and may even show willingness to re-engage in dialogue, particularly after Pyongyang also shut off its loudspeakers.
Kim Yo-jong, who is a senior North Korean ruling party official and is believed to speak for the country’s leader, said Lee’s pledge of commitment to South Korea-US security alliance shows he is no different from his hostile predecessor.
“If South Korea expects to reverse all the consequences of (its actions) with a few sentimental words, there could be no greater miscalculation than that,” Kim said in comments carried by official KCNA news agency.
Lee, who took office on June 4 after winning a snap election called after the removal of hardline conservative Yoon Suk-yeol over a failed attempt at martial law, has vowed to improve ties with Pyongyang that had reached the worst level in years.
As gestures aimed at easing tensions, Lee suspended loudspeaker broadcasts blasting anti-North propaganda across the border and banned the flying of leaflets by activists that had angered Pyongyang.
Kim, the North Korean official, said those moves are merely a reversal of ill-intentioned activities by South Korea that should never have been initiated in the first place.
“In other words, it’s not even something worth our assessment,” she said.
“We again make clear the official position that whatever policy is established in Seoul or proposal is made, we are not interested, and we will not be sitting down with South Korea and there is nothing to discuss.”
There has been cautious optimism in the South that the North may respond positively and may even show willingness to re-engage in dialogue, particularly after Pyongyang also shut off its loudspeakers, a move Lee said was quicker than expected.
Still, Lee, whose government is in the midst of tough negotiations with Washington to avert punishing tariffs that President Donald Trump has threatened against a string of major trading partners, has said US alliance is the pillar of South Korea’s diplomacy.
“Through efforts in the areas of politics, economic security and culture, we will strengthen the South Korea-US alliance that was sealed in blood,” Lee said in remarks commemorating the anniversary of the Korean War armistice on Sunday.
North Korea also marked the anniversary which it calls victory day with events including a parade in Pyongyang, although state media reports indicated it was at a relatively lesser scale compared to some previous years.
The two Koreas, the United States and China, which are the main belligerents in the 1950-53 Korean War, have not signed a peace treaty.
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Malaysia’s economy projected to grow 4% to 4.8% this year, central bank says
Malaysia’s economy is projected to expand by 4% to 4.8% in 2025. Headline inflation is expected to average between 1.5% and 2.3% this year. The central bank said the global economic growth outlook was affected by shifting trade policies.
Headline inflation is expected to average between 1.5% and 2.3% this year, Bank Negara Malaysia said in a statement.
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The central bank said the global economic growth outlook was affected by shifting trade policies and uncertainties surrounding tariffs
It said Malaysia’s “updated growth projections account for various tariff scenarios, ranging from a continued elevation of tariffs to more favourable trade negotiation outcomes.”
Although Malaysia’s economy remains on a “strong footing”, the central bank said its growth projection remains subject to uncertainties surrounding the global economy.
Malaysia is facing a 25% tariff on its exports to the United States unless it can reach a deal with Washington by August 1.
Malaysia’s trade minister said several sticking points remained in the talks with the United States, particularly on non-trade barriers, but discussions were progressing well and were on track to meet the August deadline.
Reporting by Danial Azhar; Editing by David Stanway
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