The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has rejected American efforts to eliminate her country’s nuclear weapons program, describing such goals as an outdated fantasy during remarks made Sunday.
Her comments preceded the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to North Korea for discussions with Kim Jong Un, marking his first trip to the nation in seven years.
“The U.S. assertion to backbite the status of the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state has no legally binding force and no one will be bound by the U.S. unilateral rhetoric,” stated Kim’s sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, referring to North Korea by its official designation.
Kim Yo Jong characterized as misleading information an American claim that President Donald Trump and Xi had agreed on shared objectives to eliminate North Korea’s nuclear capabilities during their recent summit in Beijing.
“Some officials in the United States have failed to wake from their escapist and anachronistic dream,” Kim Yo Jong declared.
Since Kim Jong Un’s diplomatic efforts with Trump ended unsuccessfully in 2019, North Korea has concentrated on expanding its nuclear capabilities. Experts believe the North Korean leader seeks international acknowledgment as a nuclear power to pressure for the removal of international economic restrictions against North Korea.
While touring a newly constructed nuclear materials facility last week, Kim Jong Un announced North Korea would strengthen the nation’s nuclear capabilities “at an exponential rate.” Sunday’s state media coverage showed Kim Jong Un had inspected a weapons manufacturing facility the day before, where he advocated for expanding the country’s missile manufacturing capabilities by 2.5 times within a five-year timeline.
In her remarks, Kim Yo Jong criticized the U.S. and South Korea for pursuing “ceaseless arms build-ups,” describing her brother’s efforts for “steadily beefing up the nuclear war deterrent for self-defense” as “an irreversible final conclusion to be carried out unconditionally.”
Experts suggest Xi’s upcoming North Korea visit primarily aims to reestablish China’s influence over North Korea, which has increasingly prioritized its relationship with Russia in recent years. They anticipate Xi will likely avoid directly addressing nuclear disarmament and instead propose economic cooperation programs during his discussions with Kim Jong Un.
North Korea has deployed military personnel and conventional armaments to Russia supporting its military campaign against Ukraine. American and South Korean officials report that North Korea has received economic and additional support from Russia in exchange.
