North Korea’s top lawmaker accuses US, South Korea of ‘actualizing’ nuclear war

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - North Korea’s top lawmaker on Wednesday accused the US and South Korea of preparing to "actualize" a nuclear war, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

Pak In-chol, chairman of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly, spoke at a UN-led global legislators’ meeting in Switzerland, blaming the US and Western countries for causing "instability and chaos" to keep their "hegemonic position."

"The advanced preparations of the United States and the ROK (South Korea) to actualize a nuclear war have entered the gravity stage," Pak said at the sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament.

He added that North Korea will never tolerate the "high-handedness and arbitrariness of the US and its following forces" and will "fully discharge its responsibility" to defend international justice.

The development came as South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik called for the reopening of dialogue between North and South Korea on Wednesday, despite tensions between the two neighbors.

Speaking at the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Switzerland, Woo said the two sides have stopped loudspeaker broadcasts, sending propaganda leaflets and balloons filled with waste over the border, and jamming signals, which were symbolic of confrontation and hostility.

"Despite the difficulties, channels for dialogue must remain open," he said.

His remarks followed just two days after Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, publicly dismissed Seoul’s offer for talks, rejecting President Lee Jae-myung’s push to ease military tensions and restore dialogue.

Since assuming office last month, the Lee administration has taken steps to reduce tensions with North Korea, suspending border propaganda broadcasts and urging civic groups to halt anti-Pyongyang activities, signaling its government’s commitment to restarting dialogue.

Earlier, Kim Yo Jong said that Pyongyang is not interested in any proposal from South Korea and will not sit down for dialogue and accused President Lee of not being different from his predecessor while blindly adhering to the South Korea-US alliance and pursuing confrontation with North Korea.

- Nuclear advantage

According to South Korea's top spy agency, North Korea believes that it holds a strategic advantage in its stalled nuclear diplomacy with the US and inter-Korean engagement.

Citing recent statements by the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) shared its assessment on the remarks made by Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the ruling party's Central Committee, Yonhap News reported on Wednesday.

Kim Yo-jong said on Monday that Pyongyang will not sit down with Seoul for dialogue and condemned the South for "blindly adhering" to its alliance with the US.

"North Korea's recent statements stem from a sense of confidence that it finds itself in a much more favorable strategic environment, as its nuclear capabilities have developed and it has backing from Russia through its dispatch of troops (to Moscow)," Yonhap quoted the NIS as saying.

*Aamir Latif in Karachi contributed to this story