Kim Yo Jong rejects U.S. attempts to resume negotiations

• Kim Yo Jong denies the possibility of negotiations with the U.S. regarding denuclearization.
• North Korea rejected the proposal of the new government of South Korea.
• Kim Yo Jong emphasized changes in the situation with 2025 in mind.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Kim Yo Jong, rejected the U.S. intention to resume diplomacy regarding the denuclearization of North Korea. She stated that North Korea will resolutely oppose any attempts to deny its status as a nuclear state.

During Donald Trump's second term, he repeatedly emphasized his personal relationship with Kim Jong Un and expressed hope for the restoration of nuclear diplomacy. However, previous negotiations in 2018-19 collapsed over disputes regarding sanctions imposed by the U.S. Since then, Kim has been conducting tests to modernize and expand its nuclear arsenal.

In a statement published by state media, Kim Yo Jong noted that it does not deny that personal relations between her brother and Trump "are not bad." However, if these relations are to serve as a means of denuclearization of North Korea, it will be regarded as "merely a joke."

She emphasized that "it is worth noting that 2025 is not 2018 and not 2019." In case the U.S. does not accept the new reality and continues to adhere to the outdated past, meetings between North Korea and the U.S. will remain only as "hopes" from the U.S. side.

Kim Yo Jong pointed out that the North Korean leadership is not interested in negotiations about denuclearization. Experts previously noted that North Korea could afford to partially deny its nuclear capabilities in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.

It is noted that earlier Trump rejected Kim Jong Un's proposal regarding the lifting of sanctions in exchange for partial denuclearization.

In addition, Kim Yo Jong rejected the proposal of the new liberal government of South Korea, stating that its "blind trust" in the alliance with the U.S. and hostility towards North Korea does not differ from the policies of its predecessors.

These comments indicate that North Korea, which is currently actively cooperating with Russia, has no intention of restoring diplomacy with South Korea in the near future.

Tags: USA/Politics