North Korea: Kim Jong Un’s sister Kim Yo Jong snubs Trump

“Completely uninteresting”

Kim’s sister lets Trump run

Trump speaks of positive signals from Pyongyang and cuts back on a US-South Korean maneuver. Kim’s sister reacts coldly.

The influential sister of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, Kim Yo Jong, says she knows nothing about conversations between her brother and the US president Donald Trump. “I know absolutely nothing about such communication,” Kim Yo Jong said on Wednesday. Her brother still has “good feelings” towards the US President. Trump had previously indicated that he was in contact with Kim.

The background is a shortening of “Ulchi Freedom Shield”, an annual joint exercise by the US government, ordered by Trump US Army and the South Korean armed forces. The US President had the step in his online service Truth Social on Sunday justified the high costs, but also praised North Korea I recently behaved in a “non-threatening” and “respectful” manner. He also has a “very good relationship” with Pyongyang.

When asked about the posts, Trump said on Monday that Kim Jong Un had responded to his offers to talk. When asked what stage the dialogue with Kim was at, Trump added that it was “very positive.” Trump did not provide any further details.

Regarding the shortening of the military exercise, which is now only scheduled to last until Friday and not until August 27 as originally planned, Kim Yo Jong explained: “That is not worth commenting on for us. We find it completely uninteresting.” The duration of the maneuver does not change its “aggressive character”. Pyongyang has criticized the exercises for years as a dress rehearsal for an invasion.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Trump was pushing for another meeting with Kim this fall. Trump and Kim met three times during the US Republican’s first term in office. There were no concrete results at that time.