North Korea keeping Iran at arm’s length, reports Seoul

Seoul says Pyongyang has not been supplying Iran with weapons successful the hopes of being capable to reopen diplomatic dialog with the US.

North Korea appears to beryllium distancing itself from longtime spouse Iran successful the hopes of forming a caller narration with the United States, South Korean quality believes.

Seoul’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) sees nary signs that North Korea has sent weapons oregon supplies to Tehran since the US-Israel warfare connected Iran began astatine the extremity of February, lawmaker Park Sun-won, who attended a closed-door briefing held by the NIS, said connected Sunday.

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While Iran’s different allies China and Russia person often issued statements connected the US-Israel warfare connected Iran, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry has lone issued 2 toned-down statements truthful far, said the NIS.

While Pyongyang did condemn the US and Israeli attacks connected Iran arsenic illegal, it did not contented nationalist condolences aft Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s decease oregon nonstop a congratulatory connection erstwhile Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, succeeded him.

The spy bureau said Pyongyang is apt adopting this cautious attack to presumption it for a caller diplomatic section with the US erstwhile the Middle East struggle subsides, said Park.

The NIS besides told lawmakers that it present believes Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un is grooming his teenage girl arsenic his successor, citing a caller nationalist show of her driving a tank.

The NIS said the imagery was intended to item the expected subject aptitude of the youngster, who is believed to beryllium astir 13 and named Ju Ae.

Such scenes are intended to wage “homage” to Kim’s ain nationalist subject appearances during the aboriginal 2010s, erstwhile helium was being prepared to win his father, Park said.

Kim’s almighty sister, Kim Yo Jong, was earlier thought to beryllium a starring campaigner to win her brother.

On Monday, she was successful North Korean headlines arsenic she welcomed an apology issued by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung connected Sunday implicit a January drone incursion.

“The ROK [Republic of Korea] president personally expressed regret and talked astir a measurement for preventing recurrence. Our authorities appreciated it arsenic precise fortunate and omniscient behaviour for its ain sake,” Kim Yo Jong said successful a connection carried by the authoritative Korean Central News Agency.

Seoul initially denied immoderate authoritative relation successful the January drone incursion, with authorities suggesting it was the enactment of civilians, but Lee said a probe had revealed authorities officials had been involved.

“We explicit regret to the North implicit the unnecessary subject tensions caused by the irresponsible and reckless actions of immoderate individuals,” Lee said.

Lee has sought to repair ties with North Korea since taking bureau past year, criticising his predecessor for allegedly sending drones to scatter propaganda implicit Pyongyang.

His repeated overtures, however, person gone unanswered by the North until now.

Lee’s look of regret follows Kim’s labelling of Seoul arsenic the “most hostile state” successful a argumentation code successful March successful which helium vowed to “thoroughly cull and disregard it”.