The Ministry of Unification rebutted on the 19th regarding Kim Jong Un's criticism that the U.S.-South Korea joint exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), is 'the most hostile and confrontational', stating, 'There is no intention to attack North Korea or escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.'
A Ministry of Unification official said during a meeting with reporters at the government complex in Seoul that the government's position on Kim's criticism of the U.S.-South Korea joint exercise is that 'the U.S.-South Korea joint exercise has a defensive nature that protects the lives and safety of the people.'
In response to the observation that it is unusual for Kim to personally criticize the U.S.-South Korea joint exercise, he said, 'On August 14, Kim Yo Jong, the Deputy Chairperson of the Labor Party, expressed the party's position on the U.S.-South Korea training, and this appears to be a reaffirmation of that.'
Deputy Chairperson Kim Yo Jong previously dismissed the adjustment of the U.S.-South Korea UFS exercise, stating it was 'not worthy of evaluation and would only result in wasted efforts.'
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Unification has determined that the North Korean Labor Party's specialized department for South Korea, the United Front Department, has changed its name to '10th Bureau of the Labor Party Central Committee' while maintaining its organization.
Unification Minister Jeong Dong Young noted during the previous day's report to the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee that 'a third party who recently visited Pyongyang informed me that the sign for the United Front Department has disappeared, but the office and personnel remain intact.'
It has been reported that North Korea has dismantled all South Korean organizations, including the United Front Department, after Kim Jong Un designated inter-Korean relations as 'an antagonistic two-state relationship' at the end of 2023, but claims indicate that only the department's name was removed while personnel remain.
A Ministry of Unification official stated, 'Considering that Kim Yong Chol, adviser, and Ri Son Gwon, head of the 10th Bureau, continue public activities, it appears that there has been no significant change in the status of the Party's 10th Bureau, the successor organization to the United Front Department.'
Regarding the existence of other South Korean organizations such as the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, he added, 'There has been no mention of this in North Korean media, so there is currently no verifiable information.'