North Korea threatens not to deal with South Korea's Lee government

North Korea’s powerful National Defense Commission issued a hard-line statement on Friday, threatening not to deal with South Korea‘s Lee Myung-bak government and ruling out any policy changes.

The statement, issued just after the North’s new leader Kim Jong-un took power from his deceased father Kim Jong-il during the communist nation‘s mourning period, seems to represent Pyongyang’s future policy stance toward the South.

In an apparent move to foster a better relationship with the North’s new leadership, President Lee said last week that South Korea has no hostility toward the North and expressed sympathy to the people of North Korea over Kim’s death.

“As already declared, the (North) will have no dealings with the Lee Myung-bak group of traitors forever,” the commission said in the statement, referring to the name of South Korea’s conservative president.

The North’s commission accused South Korea of banning its people from visiting Pyongyang to offer condolences and of seeking to drive a wedge between ordinary North Koreans and the North’s leadership over Kim’s death.

“We will surely force the group of traitors to pay for its hideous crimes committed at the time of the great national misfortune,” according to the statement carried by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency.

South Korean officials said they had no immediate comment.

Seoul did not send an official mourning delegation to Pyongyang. It only approved a condolence trip by private delegations led by two high-profile women who have ties with North Korea.

Despite the harsh rhetoric, the North’s commission has maintained the prospect of improved relations with South Korea in the future.

South Korea is scheduled to hold presidential election in December 2012. Lee’s single five-year term of office ends in February 2013 and he is barred by law from seeking re-election.

The commission said the North wants to mend fences with the South by carrying out agreements of their two previous summits.

“The army and people of the (North) will keep to the path of improving North-South relations and achieving peace and prosperity,” the statement said.

The North has routinely pressed South Korea to honor the summits that called for better ties and a set of cross-border economic projects. Most of the accords have been in limbo since Lee took power in Seoul in 2008.

South Korea, the United States and other regional powers are seeking to find clues on the policy direction of the isolated country led by the untested leader in his late 20s.

The North’s commission said it will unswervingly uphold the policies of its late leader who pursued nuclear programs and the military-first policy despite economic difficulties.

“We solemnly declare with confidence that the South Korean puppets and foolish politicians around the world should not expect any change” from North Korea. (Yonhap News)