South Korea reaffirmed its commitment to peace on the Korean Peninsula on Monday, following North Korea’s outright rejection of President Lee Jae Myung’s proposal to resume dialogue and improve relations.

Earlier in the day, Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, declared that Pyongyang has no interest in engaging with Seoul. In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim criticized President Lee for “blindly adhering” to the South Korea-US alliance and maintaining a confrontational stance.

This marks North Korea’s first official statement on the new South Korean administration, which took office last month.

Responding to the remarks, a senior official from South Korea’s presidential office acknowledged the “high wall of distrust” between the two Koreas, shaped by years of hostility. “The government will consistently take necessary actions to ensure a Korean Peninsula without hostility and conflict,” the official said.

President Lee has taken symbolic steps to de-escalate tensions, including suspending border-area propaganda broadcasts and urging civic groups to stop sending anti-North leaflets. His administration also repatriated North Korean fishermen who had drifted into South Korean waters, signaling a desire for goodwill.

Despite the North’s hardline stance, Seoul remains firm on its principle of building a peaceful coexistence. “The Lee administration is committed to creating a state of peace where there is no need for conflict,” the presidential office stated.

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un previously redefined inter-Korean relations in 2013 as ties between two hostile states, distancing from past efforts at reconciliation and unification.

With the diplomatic door currently closed, Seoul’s strategy appears focused on long-term consistency, patience, and avoiding provocation—hoping that the path to dialogue may reopen in the future.