North Korea rejects UN dialogue call and accuses Guterres of bias

North Korea has rejected a UN call for renewed dialogue between the two Koreas, accusing Secretary-General António Guterres of siding with Seoul in a dispute over a border mine explosion.

Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said Guterres had echoed South Korea’s one-sided account and described his stance as prejudiced and irresponsible. Her statement was carried by North Korean state news agency KCNA, according to Yonhap and Reuters.

On 5 November, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Guterres was concerned about a possible escalation around the Demilitarised Zone and wanted communication channels restored, including between the two militaries, to prevent accidents and miscalculations. In that briefing, Dujarric did not mention a specific mine explosion or assign blame.

The 21 September blast inside the zone wounded three South Korean soldiers, two seriously, Yonhap reported. The agency said a joint investigation by South Korea’s military and the UN Command concluded that North Korea had deliberately planted the mines. Pyongyang denies responsibility and has dismissed Seoul’s findings as fabricated.

South Korea raised the incident with the UN Security Council in an October letter, calling on Pyongyang to apologise, remove the mines and take steps to prevent a recurrence, according to Yonhap.