North Korea breaks silence on political turmoil in Seoul

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North Korea sharply criticized South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Pyongyang’s first official comments on the political crisis in the neighboring democracy after Yoon’s failed attempt to impose martial law last week.

“The puppet Yoon Suk Yeol, facing a serious crisis of governance and impeachment, has shocked the nation by suddenly declaring martial law and brazenly using fascist dictatorial weapons against citizens, throwing the entire South Korea into chaos and pandemonium.” ”Korean Central News reported. Agency, official spokesperson for the Kim Jong Un regime, according to a translation by NK News, a service based in Seoul.

Yoon faces widespread calls for his ouster after he declared martial law last Tuesday before being forced to rescind his declaration six hours later. He has already survived a vote to impeach him and is being investigated on charges of treason.

The KCNA report featured prominently in major North Korean newspapers on Wednesday and was accompanied by photographs of massive public protests in the South Korean capital over the past week.

The report does not mention that Yoon attempted to justify his declaration of martial law by accusing South Korea’s leftist majority in the National Assembly of plotting a rebellion and harboring sympathies for North Korea.

While Pyongyang’s propagandists appear to mock the situation in South Korea for domestic purposes, analysts say it is impossible to predict whether North Korea will try to exacerbate instability in Seoul (potentially by testing nuclear weapons) or show restraint before returning. to power. of Donald Trump and possible resumption of negotiations with the US.

During his first term, Trump became the first sitting president to visit North Korea, part of a period of unprecedented negotiations and brinkmanship between North Korean and U.S. leaders.

However, talks ultimately stalled and Joe Biden’s administration has given Washington’s nuclear negotiations with North Korea a lower priority, which has instead focused on combating the rise of China.

“The problem is that both Kim and Trump have tended to escalate, to negotiate, so even if we think that maybe they are trying to reset talks, that doesn’t necessarily mean stabilization,” said Andrew Gilholm, director of analysis for China and Korea. . at Control Risks, a geopolitical risk consultancy.

Uncertainty over how Trump will address North Korea’s nuclear arsenal also comes amid growing concerns about closer ties between Kim and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

NATO last week accused Russia of aiding North Korea’s nuclear program in exchange for Pyongyang sending troops to help in its war against Ukraine.

Analysts also note that Lee Jae-myung, South Korea’s opposition leader and favorite to be the next president, is likely to return to a more conciliatory policy of engagement with North Korea, following in the footsteps of Yoon’s predecessor Moon Jae. -in.