President Lee Jae-myung arrives at the Japanese Prime Minister's official residence in Tokyo on the 23rd, engaged in conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Yonhap News. 

North Korea has denounced the South Korea-Japan summit, calling it "a diplomatic farce orchestrated by Seoul's anxiety to alleviate Washington's 'misunderstandings'."

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on the 25th, citing an article by an individual named Kim Hyuk-nam titled "The Disgraceful Conduct of Seoul's Rulers Acting as the Vanguard for the Realization of Trilateral Military Cooperation," described the agreement by the South Korean and Japanese leaders to strengthen trilateral cooperation as "a courtship message to the future master of the White House."

The article, in an unusual move, directly criticized President Lee Jae-myung by name for choosing Japan, not the United States, as the destination for his first summit meeting after taking office, and disparaged it as "pro-Japanese acts."

The article sarcastically stated, "It is well known that due to the 'anti-Japan' mantle he secured through his 'hardline stance against Japan' remarks, which he often made to appeal to public sentiment when he was the leader of the opposition, Lee Jae-myung has faced chilly reception from within Japan and neglect and pressure from the United States since taking power."

It further assessed, "The background of this Tokyo trip, which seems to have disregarded even the tradition of pro-American diplomacy, is intertwined with the U.S.'s distrust of the current ruler and the consequent anguish of the subordinate."

It continued, "In an effort to avoid any potential diplomatic blunders during his visit to the White House, he has ultimately embarked on a path of self-proclaimed pro-Japanese validation," pointing out, "The problem is that the excessive desire of this Seoul ruler to actively prove his pro-Japanese creed going forward will further escalate regional security crises."

The article asserted that the South Korea-Japan summit "blatantly exposes the ugly confrontational nature of the South Korean ruler who, in order to curry favor with the American overlord, is acting as the vanguard for the realization of aggressive U.S.-Japan-South Korea trilateral military cooperation, putting the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula and the region on the bargaining table."

It concluded with a warning, "We will absolutely not stand idly by in the face of the alarming situation unfolding due to the hegemony-seeking United States and its followers."

While North Korea focused its criticism on South Korea following the summit, it appears to have modulated its tone by using an opinion piece from an individual rather than an official statement or announcement.

Yonhap News