Kim Jong Un’s sister says she is ‘unaware’ of Trump’s claims of secret US-North Korea talks

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump says he’s been in touch with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but that’s looking shaky now. Kim’s influential sister, Kim Yo Jong, claims she has “absolutely nothing” to say about any talks happening between the two.

On Wednesday, August 19, Trump announced that Kim had replied to his request for a conversation and that they plan to meet later this year. Still, Kim Yo Jong’s remarks in North Korean state media make it sound like there’s no real sign of new direct talks starting up just yet.

Kim Yo Jong casts doubt on Trump’s claim

Trump has been signaling a renewed effort to engage Kim, even as tensions remain high between Washington and Pyongyang.

Trump, who also claimed North Korea had 57 nuclear weapons, had suggested he and Kim were holding secret negotiations on Tuesday after announcing the US would downgrade its participation in military exercises held by South Korea, a US ally.

Asked whether Kim had responded to his request for a conversation, Trump said: “Yeah, he has.”

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Trump was pushing aides to set up an in-person meeting with Kim, potentially during a trip to Asia in November for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China.

“There has been no communication between the leaders of North Korea and the US that we are aware of,” Kim Yo Jong said in a statement translated by South Korean outlet The Chosun Daily.  

“I am not aware of it at all, and perhaps it may be the only thing I do not know as regards the foreign policy of our supreme leadership,” she continued, adding that the relationship between the US and North Korean leaders “is still excellent.”

Kim Yo Jong also renewed North Korea’s criticism of Ulchi Freedom Shield as “an expression of open hostility” toward the country, despite Trump’s decision on Sunday to scale back these training exercises following a threat from North Korea. 

Trump pushes for another Kim meeting

Trump made his comments not long after he told the US military to sharply cut back on its role in joint drills with South Korea.

For years, these annual exercises have been a sore spot for North Korea, which sees them as a threat, or really, as practice for an invasion. But the US and South Korea have stuck with them, insisting they’re essential for keeping their forces ready and in sync.

Even though there’s been some back-and-forth about the drills, Trump still talks up his relationship with Kim.

He even threw out a number, saying North Korea has 57 “very powerful” nuclear weapons, which is a surprisingly exact figure for something usually kept secret.

“I know Kim Jong-un very well, and he’s gonna be fine,” Trump said. “As long as we have a smart president, he’s gonna be fine. If we have a dumb president, then he’s probably not going to be so fine.”