N.K. paper condemns Seoul for 'yielding' to Washington amid summit

SEOUL, July 2 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Sunday condemned the South for what it called Seoul's "submission to the U.S.," as leaders of the two countries joined their voices last week in urging Pyongyang to give up its nuclear ambition.

The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, published a commentary that assessed Seoul's senior officials as having "revealed their miserable appearance seized with sycophancy and submission to the U.S. occasioned by the chief executive's first junket to the U.S.," referring to South Korean President Moon Jae-in's recent first trip to Washington.

The newspaper argued that albeit talks of alliance between the two sides, the U.S. "regards them (South Korea) as a mere puppet and colonial servant."

The Rodong Sinmun further lashed out at the new Seoul administration, saying that its senior leadership would end up "into the rubbish heap of history" if the South "yields to the U.S" while antagonizing the North.

Last Friday (local time), Moon and his American counterpart, Donald Trump, held their first summit in Washington and urged North Korea to give up its nuclear ambition, calling it a "better path" for the safety and security of its own people.

"The most serious challenge facing South Korea and the United States is North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. President Trump and I agreed to work closely coordinate our related measures while placing the top priority on the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue," Moon said at a press conference following the bilateral summit.

The South Korean president also said he and Trump agreed to try to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue fundamentally based on a comprehensive, phased approach employing both sanctions and dialogue. Moon also noted the countries will further strengthen their joint defense capabilities against North Korean threats.

odissy@yna.co.kr
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