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Seoul says Pyongyang has not been supplying Iran with weapons in the hopes of being able to reopen diplomatic dialogue with the US.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Published On 6 Apr 2026<\/span>6 Apr 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n North Korea appears to be distancing itself from longtime partner Iran in the hopes of forming a new relationship with the United States, South Korean intelligence believes.<\/p>\n Seoul\u2019s National Intelligence Service (NIS) sees no signs that North Korea has sent weapons or supplies to Tehran since the US-Israel war on Iran<\/a> began at the end of February, lawmaker Park Sun-won, who attended a closed-door briefing held by the NIS, said on Sunday.<\/p>\n list of 3 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n While Iran\u2019s other allies China and Russia have frequently issued statements on the US-Israel war on Iran, North Korea\u2019s Foreign Ministry has only issued two toned-down statements<\/a> so far, said the NIS.<\/p>\n While Pyongyang did condemn the US and Israeli attacks on Iran as illegal, it did not issue public condolences after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei\u2019s death or send a congratulatory message when Khamenei\u2019s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, succeeded him.<\/p>\n The spy agency said Pyongyang is likely adopting this cautious approach to position it for a new diplomatic chapter with the US once the Middle East conflict subsides, said Park.<\/p>\n The NIS also told lawmakers that it now believes Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un is grooming his teenage daughter as his successor, citing a recent public display of her driving a tank.<\/p>\n The NIS said the imagery was intended to highlight the supposed military aptitude of the youngster, who is believed to be around 13 and named Ju Ae.<\/p>\n Such scenes are intended to pay \u201chomage\u201d to Kim\u2019s own public military appearances during the early 2010s, when he was being prepared to succeed his father, Park said.<\/p>\n Kim\u2019s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, was earlier thought to be a leading candidate to succeed her brother.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThe ROK [Republic of Korea] president personally expressed regret and talked about a measure for preventing recurrence. Our government appreciated it as very fortunate and wise behaviour for its own sake,\u201d Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.<\/p>\n Seoul initially denied any official role in the January drone incursion, with authorities suggesting it was the work of civilians, but Lee said a probe had revealed government officials had been involved.<\/p>\n \u201cWe express regret to the North over the unnecessary military tensions caused by the irresponsible and reckless actions of some individuals,\u201d Lee said.<\/p>\n Lee has sought to repair ties with North Korea since taking office last year, criticising his predecessor for allegedly sending drones to scatter propaganda over Pyongyang.<\/p>\n His repeated overtures, however, have gone unanswered by the North until now.<\/p>\n Lee\u2019s expression of regret follows Kim\u2019s labelling of Seoul as the \u201cmost hostile state\u201d in a policy address in March in which he vowed to \u201cthoroughly reject and disregard it\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nRecommended Stories <\/h2>\n
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