Pyongyang slams door on Seoul, open to U.S. talks
Published: 26 Feb. 2026, 18:46
Updated: 26 Feb. 2026, 18:48
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- SHIN MIN-HEE
- [email protected]
![North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during the Ninth Workers’ Party Congress in Pyongyang on Feb. 19 in this photo published by the Rodong Sinmun on Feb. 20. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/26/7300c5c2-40b4-4c1f-ae24-1a55b99f9791.jpg)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during the Ninth Workers’ Party Congress in Pyongyang on Feb. 19 in this photo published by the Rodong Sinmun on Feb. 20. [NEWS1]
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared that Pyongyang would permanently exclude Seoul as part of the same nation, vowing there was nothing left to discuss while leaving the door open to talks with Washington.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Thursday on Kim’s report delivered last Friday and Saturday, during the Ninth Congress of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, which was held from Feb. 19 to Wednesday.
Kim denounced the South Korean government’s dovish stance as a “clumsy deceptive farce and a poor work,” accusing Seoul of advocating “deceptive ‘reconciliation’ and ‘peace’” on the surface while allegedly plotting North Korea’s disarmament under the banner of “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
He said continuing to engage South Korea under the notion of shared ethnicity in pursuit of what he called “utterly impossible reconciliation and ‘reunification’” was an “anachronistic practice” that should no longer be maintained.
“The only way for [South Korea] to live safely is to abandon everything related to us and not to irritate us as long as it cannot evade the geopolitical conditions in which it borders us,” Kim was quoted as saying in the report.
“If [South Korea’s] mischievous acts conducted on the doorstep of a nuclear weapons state are recognized as an act of doing harm to our security environment, we can launch any action,” he also said.
![North Korea’s state-run Korean Central Television (KCTV) reported on Feb. 19 that a ceremony was held on Feb. 18 at the April 25 House of Culture plaza in Pyongyang to present 50 units of 600-millimeter multiple rocket launchers to the Workers’ Party of Korea during its ninth congress, with leader Kim Jong-un in attendance. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/26/c34dcd28-4f1b-49f7-be25-a9edee10ffb9.jpg)
North Korea’s state-run Korean Central Television (KCTV) reported on Feb. 19 that a ceremony was held on Feb. 18 at the April 25 House of Culture plaza in Pyongyang to present 50 units of 600-millimeter multiple rocket launchers to the Workers’ Party of Korea during its ninth congress, with leader Kim Jong-un in attendance. [YONHAP]
Regarding the United States, Kim said North Korea would continue to uphold its “toughest stand” as the guiding principle of its policy toward Washington. At the same time, he left open the possibility of dialogue, saying that if the United States respects North Korea’s current status as enshrined in its Constitution and withdraws its hostile policy, “there is no reason why we cannot get on well with the U.S.”
“But if the U.S. is not away from the customary practices towards [North Korea] and opts for confrontation to the end, [North Korea] will be constant in its proportional response and there are sufficient means and methods for it,” he said, adding that the future of U.S.-North Korea relations depends entirely on Washington’s attitude.
“Whether it is peaceful coexistence or eternal confrontation, we are prepared for everything, and that choice is not made by us,” he said.
Kim also reaffirmed his commitment to continuously producing nuclear weapons and developing strategic arms, including submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles, to maintain what he described as overwhelming defense capabilities.
“The state nuclear force is a basic guarantee and powerful security device reliably ensuring the country's security, interests and rights to development,” Kim said, adding that Pyongyang has a long-term plan to strengthen its nuclear force year by year, increase the number of nuclear weapons and expand deployment and operational capabilities.
He claimed that once a new five-year defense development plan is completed, North Korea’s defense capabilities would be “remarkably increased and put on the high level that the enemies can not cope with.”
![South Korean President Lee Jae Myung enters a senior aides’ meeting at the Blue House in central Seoul on Feb. 26. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/26/a34dd489-d10f-49a4-9da7-00108b5d9e6f.jpg)
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung enters a senior aides’ meeting at the Blue House in central Seoul on Feb. 26. [YONHAP]
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, however, maintained a conciliatory tone toward the northern neighbor, despite its hardline rhetoric.
Speaking at a meeting with senior aides at the Blue House in central Seoul on Thursday, Lee stressed that “hostile sentiments cannot be eliminated overnight” and questioned whether past insults or threats toward the North had helped peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
“We must build trust through sustained efforts, allowing it to accumulate over time so that we can move toward a state of understanding and, ultimately, empathy,” Lee said.
“We need to begin with ourselves. There is no need to blame others, and blaming others will not solve the problem. We will continue to make consistent efforts.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio likewise signaled openness to engagement. Rubio said Wednesday that the United States remains open to dialogue with any counterpart, indicating that talks with North Korea are also possible in that context.
![U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters in a departure lounge before returning to Washington following meetings with Caribbean Community leaders, at Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis on Feb. 25. [AFP/YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/02/26/ce58609c-bcbf-4cf3-b468-523583aaf524.jpg)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters in a departure lounge before returning to Washington following meetings with Caribbean Community leaders, at Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis on Feb. 25. [AFP/YONHAP]
Rubio made the remarks at a press conference held in St. Kitts and Nevis on the sidelines of a Caribbean Community summit, after being asked to confirm reports that he had spoken with former Cuban President Raúl Castro’s grandson.
“I won’t comment on any conversations we’ve had,” Rubio said. “Suffice it to say that the United States is always […] prepared to talk to officials from any government that have information to share with us or viewpoints they want to share with the United States, and that’s my job to do that.
“So whether it’s someone in Cuba or potentially one day someone in North Korea or right now in Iran, we are always open to listen,” he said, noting that listening is different from negotiating.
Rubio’s mention of possible dialogue with North Korea appeared to reaffirm a general principle of engagement, rather than signal an active push for renewed U.S.-North Korea talks.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL, YOON SUNG-MIN, SHIN MIN-HEE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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