Seoul: Seoul on Friday called on North Korea to stop its derogatory remarks against South Korea after US President Donald Trump ordered the joint military drills with South Korea to be shortened. The South Korean Presidential Office emphasized that negative comments towards the government and president undermine mutual trust and urged the North to end unnecessary criticism and work towards peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula. According to TRTworld.com, the response from Seoul followed a statement by Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who criticized South Korea for its decision to discontinue the war games it favored. President Trump had instructed the Pentagon to reduce the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises to five days, citing his rapport with Kim Jong-un as a factor. Kim Yo-jong acknowledged the positive relationship between Kim and Trump but pointed out that the US's hostile policy towards Pyongyang remains unchanged. She accused South Korean President Lee Jae-myung of duplicity, claiming he publicly supported Trump's decision while privately advocating for South Korea's military independence. President Lee has publicly supported Trump's actions and has advocated for reclaiming wartime operational control from the US by 2030, emphasizing the importance of strengthening South Korea's defense capabilities. In response to Kim's comments, Lee's office stated that the government would maintain close cooperation with the US and actively seek to resume dialogue between North Korea and the US to foster peace on the Korean Peninsula. The statement from Kim Yo-jong was issued shortly after North Korea launched at least 10 short-range ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan, coinciding with the ongoing US-South Korea military drills.