North Korea accused the South of abandoning “national pride” after a phone call between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and new Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, slamming Kishida for his attempts to settle historical grievances between Seoul and Tokyo.

The state-run Tongil Sinbo on Saturday called South Korean officials “spineless” for seeking “future-oriented development, communication and cooperation with the Japanese,” adding that the South was ignoring its “responsibility of settling the historical issues.”

On Friday, Moon and Kishida spoke for the first time over the phone since Kishida became prime minister earlier this monthand reaffirmed cooperation on North Korea