Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister mocked Washington, its Asian allies, and their “daydream” to denuclearize North Korea on Wednesday. She insisted that the country would never give up its nuclear weapon program.
Kim Yo Jong’s statement, made by one of North Korea’s most senior foreign policy officials, came in response to the meeting between top diplomats from the United States, South Korea, and Japan last week, where they reaffirmed their commitment to pushing for the denuclearization of the North.
She noted that North Korea’s nuclear weapons expansion goals are enshrined within its constitution and insisted that external discussions about denuclearization were “the most hostile acts” that amounted to a denial by her country of its sovereignty.
She said that if the U.S. and its vassal nations continue to insist on anachronistic “denuclearization”, it would only justify the DPRK’s desire to build the strongest nuclear force possible for self-defense. She stated that North Korea’s nuclear weapon status could not be changed by physical strength or clever artifice.
Tensions have risen in the region as Kim Jong Un continues his display of military nuclear capability and aligns himself with Russia regarding President Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine war. Kim Jong Un is refusing to listen to calls from Washington and Seoul for the denuclearization of talks.
Donald Trump said that he would contact Kim again in order to restart diplomacy. However, North Korea has not responded. Trump and Kim had three meetings during Trump’s term. However, their diplomacy collapsed quickly over disagreements regarding the end of U.S. sanctions in exchange for North Korea taking measures to wind down its missile and nuclear programs.
Kim’s priority in foreign policy is Russia. He has provided it with troops and weapons to prolong the war in Ukraine. Seoul is concerned that Kim could receive advanced technology and economic assistance to build his arsenal in return for supporting Russia’s military.
Kim Yo Jong made his statement a day following the firing of warning shots by South Korea to repel a North Korean group that had crossed the border. The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea said that about 10 North Koreans, some of whom were carrying weapons, had violated the military demarcation line on the eastern side of the border. They did not respond to South Korea’s warning shots and warnings and instead returned to North Korea.
It was not immediately clear if acting president Han Duck Soo and U.S. Donald Trump discussed the North Korean threat during their telephone call on Tuesday.
In a post on social media, Trump stated that he and South Korea’s president discussed trade, tariffs, and Seoul’s payment to the United States for the military protection it provides. Seoul is worried that Trump could push South Korea into paying a higher percentage of the cost for the 28,000 U.S. soldiers stationed there.