N. Korea steps up attacks on Park amid signs of diplomacy

SEOUL, May 26 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Sunday harshly criticized South Korean President Park Geun-hye for hurting the dignity of its top leadership, clouding chances of easing mounting tensions on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue. After leader Kim Jong-un's special envoy visited China last week, North Korea showed signs of backing away from confrontation with the international community, though skepticism still persists about its true intention. On Sunday, North Korea, through its powerful National Defense Commission, stepped up its attacks on South Korea, calling Park a "puppet president" who revealed the "sinister intention" to stand in confrontation with Pyongyang. The North's statement came three days after Park mentioned the North Korean leader's name in a meeting with the director of the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies, saying that his two-track policy of rebuilding the North's broken economy and developing its nuclear program would "never" succeed. It was the first time that North Korea has specifically used Park's name to heap criticism on her. The North's media had previously referred to her as "the chief of Cheongwadae," which is South Korea's presidential office. "Recently she was so pitiful as to coquettishly behave, blustering that the north is attempting a new 'gamble' called new line on simultaneously pushing forward economic construction and the building of nuclear force," said the North's statement, carried by its Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "She had better buckle down to grasping the level of its military preparedness before learning how to change her skirt into trousers and change her civilian dress into a military uniform," it said. "We will closely follow the future behaviors of the present ruling quarters of south Korea including Park Geun Hye." Tensions have escalated over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests earlier this year and South Korea-U.S. joint military drills, but friction has appeared to ebb since the North has recently moved medium-range missiles off their launch site. Analysts expressed concern over the North's aggressive language towards Park, at a time when hopes grow for resuming six-party nuclear disarmament talks with the North. "The North Korean National Defense Commission's criticism is seemed only limited to Park's remarks, but we have to take it seriously as the North stepped up its hostile rhetoric against the president herself, using her name," said Ko Yoo-hawn, a North Korea studies professor at Dongkuk University. "The South Korean government should better refrain from making provocative remarks set relationship with North Korea." The main opposition Democratic Party criticized the North's hostility toward Seoul. "It is not appropriate for the North to hurl swears on South Korea, while sending envoys to China to talk about possibilities of returning to the six-party talks," the opposition party spokeswoman Bae Jae-jung said in a briefing. "The North's move is attributable to strained inter-Korean relations. At time like this, our government should take a cautious approach and step up efforts to have dialogue." ejkim@yna.co.kr (END)