NK resumes bellicose rhetoric against South

A suspected short-range missile is launched into the sea off North Korea's east coast on May 9. Yonhap

By Lee Min-hyung

North Korea is stepping up criticism of the South for “being too passive” in handling inter-Korean affairs by “walking on eggshells” around the United States, the North's propaganda outlets said Monday.

“The North doubts whether the South is willing to fulfill inter-Korean agreements, as the latter keeps a low profile in dealing with inter-Korean issues and pays too much attention to outside forces,” one such outfit named Maeari said in a statement

The criticism came a day after the propaganda outlet denounced South Korea over its food aid plans for the North. Pyongyang said Seoul's plan to provide humanitarian aid was nothing more than a show while the crucial nuclear talks on the Korean Peninsula have not been settled.

Starting this month, inter-Korean relations began to deteriorate at a rapid pace, with the North launching missiles into the East Sea.

The military provocation came about a year after President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met for the first time for a summit on Apr. 27 last year when they agreed to bring lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

But with Kim failing to reach a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump last February, the North's provocative rhetoric against Seoul and Washington has been resumed.

The North went on to urge the South to change its attitude in order to fulfill a series of inter-Korean agreements thoroughly without being overly conscious of the U.S.

“The South Korean authorities should be in a position to fulfill the agreements, as inter-Korean relations will never make any progress without such an attitude,” the North's mouthpiece said.

Pyongyang also took issue with Seoul's willingness to normalize the operation of the now-suspended inter-Korean industrial park in the North's border city of Gaeseong.

“The South understands the need to resume operation of Gaeseong Industrial Complex, but seeks to win approval from the U.S. over the plan by linking the issue with international sanctions on the North,” it said.

It is an obvious fact that the resumption of operations at the park has nothing to do with approval from the U.S., the propaganda outlet said, adding that the South needs to make independent judgments in handling such issues.

Pyongyang also denounced Seoul for conducting joint military exercises with the U.S., taking issue with recent joint air drills between the air forces of the allies.

“Such a military practice destroys peace and stability on the peninsula, and this is a rash military act to aggravate the regional situation,” another propaganda outlet, Uriminzokkiri, said.

The North justified its recent test-launch of missiles, calling the act a “normally-planned drill.”

“The North Korean military conducted a live-fire strike drill in our territorial waters a few days ago, and the exercise was carried out according to our normal drill plans,” it said.

Amid the heightened tension on the peninsula, the United States flew an RC-135V reconnaissance aircraft over the peninsula Monday, according to aviation tracker Aircraft Spots.