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🇸🇬 Singapore /Conflict & Security

North Korea leader’s sister ‘unaware’ of reported Kim-Trump communication

From The Straits Times · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, stated she was unaware of any communication between her brother and Donald Trump.
  • This follows Trump's claim of having told the Pentagon to curtail annual military exercises with South Korea due to his relationship with Kim Jong Un.
  • South Korea announced the exercises would end early, but Kim Yo Jong dismissed the reduction as uninteresting and unchanged in character.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has stated she is completely unaware of any reported communication between her brother and former U.S. President Donald Trump. Her comments came after Trump claimed he had instructed the Pentagon to scale back the annual joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his positive relationship with Kim Jong Un.

Regarding the recent news from Washington about communication between the leaders of North Korea and the United States, I am completely unaware of it.

— Kim Yo JongNorth Korean leader's sister denying knowledge of communication between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump.

Trump had stated on August 16 that he told the Pentagon to curtail the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, a day before they began. He mentioned his "good relationship" with the North Korean leader and, when asked if Kim had responded to his requests for conversation, Trump replied, "Yeah, he has."

However, Kim Yo Jong dismissed the notion of direct contact. "Regarding the recent news from Washington about communication between the leaders of North Korea and the United States, I am completely unaware of it," she said in a statement on August 19. She added, "It is likely the only matter concerning our top leadership’s foreign policy that I am unaware of."

It is likely the only matter concerning our top leadership’s foreign policy that I am unaware of.

— Kim Yo JongFurther emphasizing her lack of awareness regarding potential communication with the US.

Despite her denial of direct communication, Kim Yo Jong affirmed that her brother still holds "good memories and feelings" about Trump, and the relationship between the two leaders remains "excellent." South Korea's military announced that the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises would conclude on August 21, a week earlier than originally planned, a decision attributed to the U.S. side. The Pentagon stated the "substantially reduced" drills would maintain readiness and not degrade U.S. training objectives.

We have decided to adjust the UFS exercise period to run from the 17th to the 21st.

— South Korea's Joint Chiefs of StaffAnnouncing the revised schedule for the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises.

Kim Yo Jong, however, showed little interest in the reduction, calling it "completely uninteresting" and asserting that it did not alter the "provocative and aggressive" nature of the exercises. North Korea has consistently condemned these drills as rehearsals for an invasion.

We do not consider it worth commenting on and find it completely uninteresting.

— Kim Yo JongDismissing the significance of the reduced scale of the military exercises.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Straits Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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