North Korea blasts South’s new leader Yoon Suk-yeol, calls his minister picks ‘pro-US toadies’
- A propaganda website criticised Yoon for stirring up confrontational madness trumpeting a ‘stronger South Korea-US alliance’
- The scathing attack came ahead of his inauguration on May 10
The North’s state media have yet to make formal comments on Yoon, a conservative who is set to take office on May 10, but the website Uriminzokkiri issued scathing criticism ahead of his inauguration.
“Yoon Suk-yeol had aroused shock with such preposterous remarks as ‘pre-emptive strike’ and ‘main enemy,’ and stirred up confrontational madness trumpeting a ‘stronger South Korea-US alliance,’” it said.
The propaganda site criticised Yoon and his picks for ministers of defence, foreign affairs and the unification portfolio as “pro-US toadies” who had sought confrontation while serving in previous conservative governments.
“There’s nothing strange for him to nominate pro-US toadies seeking confrontation with the same people,” it added.
On Wednesday, South Korea’s military reported the North’s 14th known weapons test this year, which analysts said could aim at testing its reconnaissance satellite technology.
“North Korea might not announce failed tests, but it’s too early to say that’s the case, and the latest launch appeared rather successful as it showed some progress,” said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.