The Presidential Office recently reiterated its stance on the remarks made by Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Labor Party, which downgraded the government's measures to ease tensions with North Korea and its requests for dialogue on the 14th, stating that "we must continue to make progress step by step to restore trust between North and South Korea."
Spokesperson Kang You-jeong held a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the morning of the same day and noted the presidential office's position on the 'remarks by Deputy Director Kim', saying, "The presidential office supports the Ministry of National Defense's efforts to build peace on the Korean Peninsula."
Spokesperson Kang said, "President Lee Jae-myung stated, 'No matter how expensive peace may be, it is better than war,'" adding, "We will continue to take such measures for effective military tension relief."
North and South Korea dismantled all loudspeaker broadcasting facilities in accordance with the Panmunjom Declaration of April 27, 2018, but the Yoon Suk-yeol administration had reactivated loudspeakers aimed at the North and the South, respectively. Since June 11, under President Lee's orders, our military has stopped broadcasting via loudspeakers directed at the North, and earlier this month withdrew more than 20 fixed loudspeakers to the North, while the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on the 9th that North Korea also dismantled loudspeakers aimed at the South in some areas of its frontline.
In response to North Korea's actions, President Lee stated during a Cabinet meeting on the 12th, "I hope to resume dialogue and communication as much as possible, fostering a mutually beneficial relationship through a Korean Peninsula supported by peace and stability, and improving our respective economic environments." Kim Byung-ki, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, also said, "We must expedite the restoration of the communication channels between the North and South."
However, on the same day, Deputy Director Kim countered in a statement titled "The hope of Seoul is nothing but a foolish dream," released through the Korean Central News Agency, asserting about our demand to dismantle loudspeakers aimed at the South, "We have never dismantled the loudspeakers deployed along the border and have no intention to do so."
He further criticized, "The current government of Korea seems to expect to be perceived as having accomplished something great after erasing the one-sided measures taken during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, trying to elicit some response from someone. Such cunning tricks are nothing but an empty 'foolish dream' and do not capture our interest at all."