North Korea has no interest in any policy or proposals for reconciliation from Seoul, the powerful sister of Pyongyang’s leader Kim Jong-un has said in Pyongyang’s first response to the peace overtures of South Korea’s liberal President Lee Jae-myung.

Kim Yo-jong, a senior North Korean ruling party official who is believed to speak for the country’s leader, said on Monday that Lee’s pledge of commitment to a South Korea-United States security alliance showed he was no different from his hostile predecessor.

“If South Korea expects to reverse all the consequences of [its actions] with a few sentimental words, there could be no greater miscalculation than that,” Kim warned in comments carried by official KCNA news agency.

Lee, who took office on June 4 after winning a snap election following the removal of hardline conservative Yoon Suk-yeol over his failed martial law attempt, has vowed to improve ties with Pyongyang that have reached the worst level in years.

MNA