North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong Warns U.S. Against Pursuing Denuclearization Despite Trump’s Openness to Talks

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issued a stern warning to the United States on Tuesday, rejecting any attempt to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

Her remarks followed media reports that President Donald Trump remained open to resuming dialogue with Kim Jong Un to achieve “complete denuclearization.”

In a statement carried by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim Yo Jong declared:

“Any attempt to deny the position of the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state… will be thoroughly rejected.”

While she acknowledged that the personal relationship between her brother and President Trump was “not bad,” she emphasized that it must not be used as leverage for nuclear disarmament.

“If it is used for that purpose, it can be interpreted as nothing but a mockery of the other party,” she warned, calling instead for Washington to accept North Korea’s nuclear status.

Her comments appeared to respond to a recent Yonhap News Agency report quoting an unnamed White House official who said Trump “remains open to engaging with Leader Kim to achieve a fully de-nuclearized North Korea.”

Kim Yo Jong cautioned the U.S. against interpreting Trump’s rapport with Kim Jong Un as a diplomatic opportunity.

“The personal relationship… should not serve the purpose of denuclearization in any future talks,” she said.

Trump and Kim Jong Un met three times during Trump’s first term, including a historic summit in Singapore in 2018. However, their second summit in Hanoi in 2019 collapsed over disagreements about sanctions relief and steps toward denuclearization. Since then, North Korea has resumed and expanded its weapons testing programs.

Kim’s latest remarks signal Pyongyang’s continued resistance to denuclearization and a desire for recognition as a nuclear power—raising doubts about the feasibility of any renewed engagement under the same preconditions.