Kim Jong Un’s sister accuses US of threatening North Korea

Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has accused the United States and South Korea of maintaining a hostile military posture toward Pyongyang, saying North Korea is more concerned about the continuation of their joint drills than their decision to scale them back.

Kim made the remarks as Seoul and Washington reduced the scale of their annual combined military exercise at the request of the US following President Donald Trump’s order to cut back the drills, The Korea Times reports.

“We are paying greater attention to the reality that joint military exercises between the US and South Korea have continued and are still ongoing, and this is an unmistakable expression of hostility toward North Korea,” Kim said.

“Reducing the scale or duration of the drills does not change the provocative and aggressive nature of the military exercises,” she added, stressing that Pyongyang has “no interest whatsoever” in Trump’s decision to reduce the exercises.

The allies are due to conclude the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise after cutting its originally planned 11-day duration nearly in half, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and the US Defense Department. The exercise was initially scheduled to run from August 17 to 27.

Kim Yo-jong also said she was “unaware” of any recent communication between the leaders of North Korea and the United States.

“It is something I know absolutely nothing about,” she said.

Trump said on August 17 that Kim Jong-un had responded to his overture for dialogue and described their communication as “very positive.”

Kim Yo-jong acknowledged that her brother has good personal memories and feelings toward Trump but said the US continues to engage in what Pyongyang considers hostile military activities.

“Regardless of the excellent relationship between the leaders of North Korea and the US, the sovereign measures we are taking to deter the forces threatening our national security are completely reasonable, appropriate and necessary,” she said.

By Vafa Guliyeva