Seoul: North Korea criticized a recent summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, describing it as "a diplomatic farce created by Seoul's anxiety to alleviate Washington's 'misunderstanding,'" state media reported. The Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) issued this statement in a commentary following the weekend summit.

According to Anadolu Agency, during the summit, the leaders emphasized the importance of strengthening both bilateral and trilateral cooperation with the United States for peace and stability. This meeting took place shortly before President Lee's scheduled talks with US President Donald Trump in Washington.

KCNA stated that the ROK-Japan summit was essentially a diplomatic performance driven by Seoul's unease and its efforts to mitigate misunderstandings with Washington. North Korea further accused President Lee of exhibiting a "pro-Japanese attitude" to dispel suspicions and avoid any diplomatic fallout during his upcoming meeting with Trump.

The commentary suggested that Lee's attempt to validate his "pro-Japanese creed" could exacerbate the security crisis in the region. It also accused Lee of exploiting the issues of peace and security on the Korean peninsula as leverage and of facilitating aggressive US-Japan-ROK military cooperation.

Pyongyang declared that it would not remain a "passive onlooker" in light of the situation created by the US and its allies seeking regional dominance.