Seoul's Calls for Dialogue Were Unanswered, Harsh Response and Missile Attack from North Korea

SEOUL'S CALLS FOR DIALOGUE WERE NOT REPLACED

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called on Pyongyang to return to the dialogue table on Thursday, despite the military's demand for an official apology.

South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young also offered talks yesterday to discuss the problems at the border.

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of the North Korean leader, once again denied responsibility for the explosion in her statement yesterday and called the Seoul administration "despicable".

Describing Lee's call as "the climax of a vaudeville that everyone should watch" and the South Korean army's demand for an apology as "extremely ridiculous", Kim rejected the Unification Minister's offer for negotiation as "an unrealistic dream and one-sided jargon".

Kim also warned that Pyongyang was "ready" for any steps Seoul might take over the mine incident. The ballistic missile test took place after these statements.

Speaking to the AFP agency, Yang Moo-jin, the former rector of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, argued that the missile launch was a show of force towards diplomatic steps and said, "Seoul called for reducing tensions, but Pyongyang responded by escalating. The message given is that the North chose conflict against good will."

The latest tension is taking place at a time when US President Donald Trump's efforts to establish direct contact with Pyongyang fuel concerns that Washington's ally Seoul may be sidelined in possible nuclear negotiations.

The main opposition People Power Party in South Korea targeted President Lee.

The opposition argued that while Lee remained silent on criticism of North Korea, he took a harsh stance against Ukraine, which publicly announced the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war.