NORTH KOREA CRITICIZES THE SOUTH

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea issued a statement for the South to criticize President Moon Jae-in's speech marking Independence Day, in which he mentioned a "peace regime." Pyongyang said it has no intention to hold talks with Seoul anymore because of the joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises and Seoul's mid-term defense plan.

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North Korea's National Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland has issued a statement harshly criticizing President Moon Jae-in's speech marking Independence Day. President Moon said in his speech on Thursday that despite the North's several worrisome acts, the atmosphere of dialogue remains stable. He also mentioned unification and peace economy, which triggered a negative response from Pyongyang. The statement criticized the South Korean president for delivering a speech that had nothing to do with Independence Day, and for mentioning the atmosphere of dialogue and peace regime while South Korea is still holding joint military drills with the U.S. The statement also mentioned the mid-term defense plan that was recently announced by South Korea's Ministry of National Defense. The North said that the plan to introduce weapons such as landing platforms and precision guided munitions is intended for destroying North Korea. The statement downplayed the prospect of inter-Korean dialogue being resumed following the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise later this month. They said that South Korea was delusional to assume that the talks would be resumed with the North after the military drills. It added that Pyongyang has no intention whatsoever to sit down at the negotiating table with South Korean officials and has nothing else to say. The statement blamed the South for the stalemate in the agreement signed during the inter-Korean summit in the truce
village and the lack of motivation for inter-Korean dialogue. Observers say it was at an unprecedented speed at which the North Korean officials issued a statement of this nature. The barrage of criticism came less than a day after President Moon's Independence Day speech.