The presidential office on Friday urged Pyongyang to halt its "derogatory remarks" against South Korea, one day after the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un issued a statement seen to be aimed at belittling Seoul and its president. "Derogatory remarks toward our government and president do not help in building mutual trust," the presidential office said in a brief press release. "We call on the North to halt unnecessary criticism and march together toward peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula," it added. The message came after Kim Yo-jong, sister of the North Korean leader, accused Seoul of being "in a poor plight of canceling 'war games' it liked very much" over Washington's scaling down of a joint South Korea-U.S. military exercise. Kim also accused South Korean President Lee Jae Myung of making "double-dealing remarks," referring to Lee's comments that he respects the scaling down of the drills while also pledging to pursue an "independent buildup of military capabilities." The presidential office reiterated its commitment to a policy seeking peaceful coexistence between