Seoul says Pyongyang has not been supplying Iran with weapons within the hopes of having the ability to reopen diplomatic dialogue with the US.
Revealed On 6 Apr 2026
North Korea seems to be distancing itself from longtime associate Iran within the hopes of forming a brand new relationship with the US, South Korean intelligence believes.
Seoul’s Nationwide Intelligence Service (NIS) sees no indicators that North Korea has despatched weapons or provides to Tehran because the US-Israel war on Iran started on the finish of February, lawmaker Park Solar-won, who attended a closed-door briefing held by the NIS, mentioned on Sunday.
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Whereas Iran’s different allies China and Russia have incessantly issued statements on the US-Israel warfare on Iran, North Korea’s Overseas Ministry has solely issued two toned-down statements up to now, mentioned the NIS.
Whereas Pyongyang did condemn the US and Israeli assaults on Iran as unlawful, it didn’t problem public condolences after Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s dying or ship a congratulatory message when Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, succeeded him.
The spy company mentioned Pyongyang is probably going adopting this cautious strategy to place it for a brand new diplomatic chapter with the US as soon as the Center East battle subsides, mentioned Park.
The NIS additionally instructed lawmakers that it now believes Supreme Chief Kim Jong Un is grooming his teenage daughter as his successor, citing a latest public show of her driving a tank.
The NIS mentioned the imagery was meant to spotlight the supposed army aptitude of the teen, who’s believed to be round 13 and named Ju Ae.
Such scenes are meant to pay “homage” to Kim’s personal public army appearances throughout the early 2010s, when he was being ready to succeed his father, Park mentioned.
Kim’s highly effective sister, Kim Yo Jong, was earlier considered a number one candidate to succeed her brother.
On Monday, she was in North Korean headlines as she welcomed an apology issued by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday over a January drone incursion.
“The ROK [Republic of Korea] president personally expressed remorse and talked a few measure for stopping recurrence. Our authorities appreciated it as very lucky and clever behaviour for its personal sake,” Kim Yo Jong mentioned in a press release carried by the official Korean Central Information Company.
Seoul initially denied any official function within the January drone incursion, with authorities suggesting it was the work of civilians, however Lee mentioned a probe had revealed authorities officers had been concerned.
“We specific remorse to the North over the pointless army tensions brought on by the irresponsible and reckless actions of some people,” Lee mentioned.
Lee has sought to restore ties with North Korea since taking workplace final 12 months, criticising his predecessor for allegedly sending drones to scatter propaganda over Pyongyang.
His repeated overtures, nonetheless, have gone unanswered by the North till now.
Lee’s expression of remorse follows Kim’s labelling of Seoul because the “most hostile state” in a coverage tackle in March by which he vowed to “totally reject and disrespect it”.
