North Korea took a positive tone in reports about South Korean Unification Minister nominee Lee In-young and about the country’s new special adviser to the president on foreign affairs and national security, Im Jong-seok.

“There is much anticipation towards Lee In-young and Im Jong-seok,” the North’s propaganda outlet Uriminzokkiri wrote Tuesday, citing a commentary in the South’s online outlet Jaju Sibo.

“Attention is drawn to their future moves as both have made critical remarks about the ROK (Republic of Korea)-US working group.”

As the North Korean outlet abridged the 1,600-character article into about 600 words, it directly quoted phrases such as “must uphold the idea of Uri minjok kiri” (which means “among our Korean race”), “courage to confront the US” and “must make them get rid of the ROK-US working group, THAAD and ROK-US joint military drills.”

Meari, another one of the North’s propaganda outlets, said South Koreans had demanded that their government be self-reliant and discard its submissive attitude toward the US, citing a survey by South Korean pollster Realmeter.

The North’s propaganda radio station, Tongil Voice, said Tuesday that South Korean civic groups were calling for the disbandment of the ROK-US working group and the withdrawal of US forces from South Korea.

The latest reports from Pyongyang come more than two weeks after it stopped bitterly denouncing Seoul.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)