Cheong Wa Dae stated regarding North Korean Workers' Party Deputy Department Director Kim Yo-jong disparaging the South Korean government's Korean Peninsula peace and coexistence policy and the reduction of South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises, urging them to "stop unnecessary slander and move forward together toward peace and coexistence on the Korean Peninsula."

An official from Cheong Wa Dae said today (the 21st), "(North Korea's) sarcastic remarks against our government and the President are not helpful in building mutual trust," making the remarks as such.

The government stated that it will consistently pursue a peace and coexistence policy based on mutual respect, adding, "As a party directly involved in peace on the Korean Peninsula, we will continue close coordination between South Korea and the United States."

It also added, "As a pacemaker, we will make active efforts to resume North Korea-U.S. dialogue."

Earlier, through a midnight statement yesterday (the 20th), North Korean Workers' Party Deputy Department Director Kim Yo-jong criticized that due to President Trump's instruction to reduce exercises, "Seoul has ended up in the pitiful plight of having to put away its favorite 'war games'."

After mentioning President Lee Jae-myung's social media post expressing respect for President Trump's decision to scale back the South Korea-U.S. joint exercises, she also lashed out, claiming that the South is showing duplicitous behavior by talking about national defense and securing independent military power on one side.