Seoul, July 30: North Korea on Tuesday dismissed the United States’ renewed interest in restarting nuclear talks, with Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of leader Kim Jong Un, declaring that any attempt to deny the North’s status as a nuclear weapons state would be firmly rejected.
In a statement carried by state media, Kim Yo Jong said North Korea would not entertain the idea of denuclearisation if it comes at the cost of its security and sovereignty. “If the U.S. fails to accept the changed reality and persists in the failed past, DPRK-U.S. meetings will remain only a ‘hope’ of the U.S. side,” she said, using the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Kim’s remarks appeared to respond to a report by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency over the weekend, which cited an unnamed White House official saying U.S. President Donald Trump “remains open to engaging with Leader Kim to achieve a fully denuclearized North Korea.”
While acknowledging that the personal relationship between her brother and Trump “is not bad,” Kim said leveraging it to pursue denuclearisation would be “nothing but a mockery.” She added that the U.S. must understand that 2025 is not 2018 or 2019, referencing the years of Trump and Kim’s now-defunct summit diplomacy.
Talks between the U.S. and North Korea collapsed in 2019 after the two sides failed to reach a deal during a summit in Hanoi. North Korea had sought extensive sanctions relief in exchange for dismantling parts of its main nuclear complex, but Trump walked away, demanding a more comprehensive disarmament agreement.
Since then, Pyongyang has carried out a series of weapons tests and has publicly vowed to bolster its nuclear capabilities. Analysts say North Korea is only likely to engage in negotiations that offer partial denuclearisation in return for significant concessions, including the lifting of sanctions.
Kim Yo Jong also dismissed recent diplomatic overtures from South Korea’s new liberal government, accusing it of maintaining a “hostile posture” and placing “blind trust” in its alliance with Washington.
Her comments come amid North Korea’s deepening ties with Russia and reflect Pyongyang’s apparent disinterest in resuming dialogue with either Seoul or Washington in the near term.
Kim Yo Jong holds a senior position in the ruling Workers’ Party and is widely considered the second-most powerful figure in the regime. She plays a key role in shaping the North’s foreign policy, particularly regarding relations with the U.S. and South Korea.
