World
India
Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, swore that Pyongyang would never give up its nuclear weapons in a scathing response to fresh international demands for North Korea’s denuclearization.
Following a joint statement made by the US, Japan, and South Korea during a NATO conference last week, she made her statement through the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Amid mounting concerns over North Korea’s military developments and strengthening connections with Russia, the three allies reaffirmed their “resolute commitment” to the full denuclearization of the country.
Kim Yo-jong, a top foreign policy figure in the regime, dismissed the idea outright. “The anxious and nervous psychology of the US, Japan, and South Korea… has been exposed again without any filter,” she said. “Our ‘denuclearisation’ is nothing more than an impossible daydream.”
She added that Washington and its allies are clinging to “outdated and irrational” strategies rooted in past failed negotiations. “Just two months ago, we made it clear how foolish the US goal of North Korea’s ‘denuclearisation’ is, both practically and conceptually,” she noted. “They are still wandering in the failed dream of the past.”
Growing Tensions at the Border
The statement came just a day after fresh tensions flared at the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that approximately 10 armed North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the military demarcation line in the eastern section of the border. South Korean forces responded with warnings and fired warning shots, prompting the North Korean troops to retreat without engaging.
Such incursions have become more frequent in recent years. In June 2024, North Korean forces crossed the border on three separate occasions, triggering a series of warning responses from the South. These events have occurred amid Cold War-style provocations — including propaganda broadcasts and balloon launches laced with garbage and insulting messages.
The Trump Factor
US President Donald Trump, now in his second term, has expressed willingness to resume talks with Kim Jong-un, though Pyongyang has remained unresponsive. Trump and Kim met three times during his first term, including the historic 2018 Singapore summit. However, negotiations crumbled in 2019 after their Hanoi talks collapsed over disagreements on sanctions relief and denuclearisation steps.
Despite this history, Kim Yo-jong remains firm that the regime will not entertain denuclearisation. “If anyone openly talks about dismantling nuclear weapons… it just constitutes the most hostile act of denying the sovereignty of the DPRK,” she said.
Since the failure of the 2019 summit, North Korea has escalated its efforts to enhance nuclear and missile capabilities, framing them as essential to national survival amid what it views as persistent US hostility.
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