Seoul, Aug 14 (NationPress) South Korea is committed to actively pursuing the normalization of relations with North Korea, according to a statement from the unification ministry on Thursday, following Pyongyang's dismissal of Seoul's attempts at conciliation.

"The government will continue to seek normalization and stabilization of the relationship between South and North Korea in a mutually beneficial manner," an official from the unification ministry remarked.

This response came shortly after Kim Yo-jong, the notable sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued a statement rejecting the Lee Jae Myung administration's conciliatory gestures as a 'pipe dream.'

"We have repeatedly stated that we have no desire to improve relations with (South Korea) ... and this definitive stance will be enshrined in our constitution in the future," said Kim Yo-jong.

"Seoul may need to adopt a bold, long-term strategy to transform the strength-based inter-Korean relations of the past three years into a relationship grounded in goodwill," the ministry official added.

To alleviate tensions on the Korean Peninsula and promote peace, both nations require sincere attitudes and consistent actions, the official emphasized.

He noted that the timing of Kim's statement appears to coincide with Lee's upcoming public address on Friday, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japan's colonial rule, as well as the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise between Seoul and Washington and the August 25 summit between Lee and US President Donald Trump.

Kim's remarks also signify North Korea's preference for prioritizing relations with the US over South Korea, suggesting that Pyongyang sees Washington as a more suitable partner for addressing its concerns.

In her statement, Kim left the door open for a potential dialogue with Washington, stating, "If the US continues with its outdated mindset, the meeting between the top leaders (of North Korea and the US) will remain merely a 'hope' for the US side."

Kim also asserted that North Korea has never dismantled loudspeakers set up in the border area and is unwilling to do so, countering Seoul's earlier claim that Pyongyang had begun this process in response to Seoul's overtures, as reported by Yonhap news agency.

During a press briefing, however, Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, maintained the military's assessment that North Korea had indeed removed one of its border loudspeakers.