Latest news with #KimYo-jong
![[Wang Son-taek] Subtler signals in Kim Yo-jong's statement](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F07%2F30%2Fnews-p.v1.20250730.2c2d33bd915942019f0c00df6e49d4d4_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
![[Wang Son-taek] Subtler signals in Kim Yo-jong's statement](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fkoreaherald.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
[Wang Son-taek] Subtler signals in Kim Yo-jong's statement
On Monday and Tuesday, Kim Yo-jong, deputy director of the North Korean Workers' Party and sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued statements filled with strong and resolute language targeting both South Korea and the United States. She declared that, regarding South Korea, 'We have completely exited the era of perceiving them as compatriots,' and told the US, 'Contact between North Korea and the US is only America's wish.' At first glance, these remarks might suggest that North Korea is maintaining a hardline policy stance toward both Seoul and Washington. However, taking these statements at face value would be a misjudgment. There exist dual contexts beneath the content; the form itself cannot simply be evaluated as entirely hardline. Notably, these statements were made voluntarily by North Korea at a moment when there was neither an external provocation nor any signs of internal turmoil. Typically, North Korea issues such pronouncements in response to external military stimuli or in reaction to strong diplomatic pressures. This time, however, the remarks seem to be reacting instead to conciliatory gestures from South Korea and the US. Thus, the real purpose of these statements is not merely to reaffirm their stance, but also to deny the possibility of dialogue outright. Rather, they are preemptively setting the parameters for future bilateral or multilateral relations and making their own political and security conditions explicitly clear to the outside world. Since taking office on June 4, the Lee Jae Myung administration has pursued multiple initiatives to improve relations with the North: halting loudspeaker broadcasts across the border, banning anti-North Korea leaflets, considering individual tourism programs and working toward normalizing the Ministry of Unification. According to Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, 'The era of tit-for-tat confrontation is over.' Collectively, these moves send an explicit message of a new approach, differing significantly from the previous administration. While Kim Yo-jong dismissed these changes as 'not even worth evaluating,' the fact that she addressed each measure in detail is notable. Had they truly been meaningless, she would not have taken the effort to include them in a formal statement. Some experts interpret these comments as North Korea making clear that it has no interest whatsoever in resuming dialogue with the South. However, such an interpretation may be overly hasty and insufficiently nuanced. A closer reading of Kim's wording reveals that Pyongyang has been closely monitoring recent policy moves and messages from both Seoul and Washington. Her reference to the Lee administration's assessment of the past few years as 'the worst or most foolish of times' expresses agreement that the administration of former President Yoon Suk Yeol had taken a hardline stance toward North Korea. The North is closely watching how the new government in Seoul seeks to adjust the preconditions for inter-Korean relations and, rather than seeking a full severance, is likely signaling an 'indirect response' and a readiness to seize initiative if dialogue does eventually occur under favorable circumstances. The message toward the United States is strong, but more proactive in signaling compared to the one directed at South Korea. Kim Yo-jong brushed off dialogue efforts made by the Trump administration as 'nothing but an American wish,' yet repeatedly expressed positive assessments of President Trump and his administration, saying things such as 'It would be better to explore new approaches,' 'A confrontation between two nuclear states benefits no one,' and 'The personal relationship between the leaders is not bad.' While they remain unwilling to engage in another round of talks targeting 'denuclearization,' they hint at the possibility of new contact if the US acknowledges North Korea as a de facto nuclear state. In this latest statement, North Korea defines itself as an 'irreversible nuclear power' and firmly declares it will not enter negotiations that do not recognize this status. Yet, by stating, 'We are open to any option,' they leave open the possibility that the door to dialogue with the US is not completely closed — so long as new terms and approaches are genuinely on the table. This careful and conditional strategy reflects lessons learned from previous talks and signifies a potential 'reset,' not a complete rupture. It illustrates a calibrated posture designed to manage both risk and opportunity. It is difficult to decipher North Korea's true intentions. Pyongyang often acts unpredictably and is accustomed to using deliberately ambiguous and layered language. Prudence and a reserved attitude are therefore needed when predicting its next steps. But to dismiss this statement as a mere declaration of permanent severance — and any efforts to resume dialogue as mere wishful thinking, as North Korea might cynically claim — could be a grave diplomatic silliness. Rather, we must seriously consider the possibility that these signals are part of a broader effort by Pyongyang to reconfigure its external relationships when favorable conditions come. Saving face and maintaining dignity are essential pillars of North Korean diplomatic language and its foreign policy psychology. Given this, while the statement appears harsh and aggressive, it may not be intended as a total and final rejection of all diplomatic contact. North Korea continues to emphasize its position as a rule-setter in diplomatic negotiations and signals that contact is still possible — as long as it takes place within its preferred and carefully calibrated framework. That kind of approach might provide a possible reason for North Korea to join dialogues, and South Korea and the US can determine the scenario. In summary, Kim Yo-jong's statement loudly declares a break, but it also includes efforts to monitor counterpart reactions, control diplomatic framing and set preconditions. What is needed now is not to fixate solely on North Korea's abrasive wording, but to carefully analyze the multiple meanings embedded within. Interpreting why, when and in what context this statement was made is also crucial for effective policymaking. Sometimes, what North Korea does not say is far more significant than what it does. This latest statement offers a textbook case in that regard.
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
N. Korea says ties between NK-US leaders 'not bad' but rejects denuclearization talks
The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said Tuesday personal ties between the leaders of the North and the United States are "not bad," while ruling out talks on Pyongyang's denuclearization. Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the ruling party's Central Committee, made the remarks as US President Donald Trump has expressed his intent to reengage with the North's leader. "I do not want to deny the fact that the personal relationship between the head of our state and the present US president is not bad," Kim said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency. "However, if the personal relations between the top leaders of the DPRK and the US are to serve the purpose of denuclearization, it can be interpreted as nothing but a mockery of the other party," she said. DPRK is the acronym of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Her remarks came days after a White House official told Yonhap News Agency that Trump remains open to engagement with the North Korean leader to achieve a "fully denuclearized" North Korea. Expectations have persisted that Trump might seek to resume his personal diplomacy with Kim, which led to three in-person meetings between them, including the first summit in Singapore in 2018. But the Hanoi summit in 2019 ended without a deal due to differences over the North's denuclearization steps in return for sanctions relief. While mentioning the official's remarks that she called the US side's "unilateral assessment," Kim Yo-jong stressed, "The year 2025 is neither 2018 nor 2019," and called for recognizing her country as a nuclear state. "Any attempt to deny the position of the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state ... will be thoroughly rejected," she said. "There should be a minimum judgment to admit that it is by no means beneficial to each other for the two countries possessed of nuclear weapons to go in a confrontational direction." Experts said North Korea reaffirmed its stance that it will not sit down for Pyongyang's denuclearization but appears to have left open room for talks with the US for other topics. Kim's remarks came just a day after she issued another statement via the KCNA claiming Pyongyang will not sit down with Seoul for dialogue and condemning it for "blindly adhering" to the South Korea-US alliance. (Yonhap)
India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
North Korea dashes hopes for US talks, says dialogue depends on 'changed reality'
Hopes of resuming diplomatic talks between the United States and North Korea took a fresh hit after Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, dismissed the idea of future dialogue unless Washington acknowledges the "changed reality" and North Korea's status as a nuclear per the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), on Tuesday, Kim Yo-jong said that any meeting between the two nations would remain a distant "hope" if the United States continues to hold on to its "failed past" "If the US fails to accept the changed reality and persists in the failed past, the DPRK-US meeting will remain as a 'hope' of the US side," Kim said, referring to her country by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).'NOT BAD' TIES, BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGHDespite the harsh tone, Kim Yo-jong said that personal relations between her brother and US President Donald Trump were "not bad." Trump himself has frequently referred to his rapport with Kim Jong-un in positive terms, once calling it a "great relationship."But Kim made it clear that a friendly connection between leaders does not equate to meaningful policy change."If the personal relations between the top leaders of the DPRK and the US are to serve the purpose of denuclearisation, it can be interpreted as nothing but a mockery of the other party," she is the acronym of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of KOREA WILL NOT BACK DOWN ON NUKESIn what was arguably the most pointed part of her statement, Kim repeated that the North will not give up its nuclear weapons. She urged the US to accept that North Korea's nuclear capabilities are now a part of the global landscape."Any attempt to deny the position of the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state ... will be thoroughly rejected," she said, drawing a red line that Pyongyang seems unwilling to Donald Trump is "receptive" to dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the White House has said, after a South Korea-based news site reported that Pyongyang repeatedly rebuffed Trump's outreach House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump would like to build on the "progress" made during his 2018 summit with Kim.- EndsTune InMust Watch
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
North Korea not interested in talks with Seoul, Kim Jong-un's sister says
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister on Monday said that they are not interested in reviving talks with Seoul, in response to the Lee Jae Myung administration's efforts to mend ties with Pyongyang. 'We clarify once again the official stand that no matter what policy is adopted and whatever proposal is made in Seoul, we have no interest in it and there is neither a reason to meet nor an issue to be discussed with the ROK,' Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the ruling party's central committee, said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency. ROK is the acronym for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea. Kim Yo-jong's remarks referred to Lee's efforts to thaw inter-Korean ties and restore suspended dialogue channels with the North. The Lee administration has halted anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts along the border and repatriated six North Korean fishermen via the maritime border in the East Sea, after they had drifted into southern waters. It also asked South Korean family members of those abducted by the North to stop flying balloons filled with 'anti-Pyongyang' leaflets to the North. But the powerful sister brushed off such efforts and called the decision to halt the loudspeaker broadcasts a 'reversible turning back of what they should not have done in the first place.' She added that if Seoul expected it could reverse all its actions 'with a few sentimental words,' it would be a 'serious miscalculation.' Kim Yo-jong also lambasted Lee by saying that he 'is no different from his predecessor in blindly adhering to the South Korea-US alliance' and pursuing confrontation with the North. On Seoul's Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's recent expression of hopes for Kim Jong-un's participation in the APEC summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, scheduled for October, the North Korean leader's sister called the move delusional. In response, South Korea's presidential office said in a statement that Seoul will continue to take necessary actions to ensure a Korean Peninsula free of hostility. This is aligned with the Lee administration's stance and goal to achieve peace without conflict, it added. Seoul's Unification Ministry interpreted Kim's remarks as a sign that Pyongyang is 'closely monitoring' the Lee administration's North Korea policy, the ministry's spokesperson, Koo Byoung-sam, told a press briefing. It also reflects the reality of 'the high walls of distrust' existing between the two Koreas. "The government will not waver due to each and every reaction from North Korea but will calmly and consistently pursue efforts to forge inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation and realize mutual peace on the Korean Peninsula," Koo said. Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, echoed the Unification Ministry's interpretation, saying that Kim's remarks reaffirmed the North's view of seeing inter-Korean ties as those between "two states hostile to each other.' It is also an intent to put pressure on the South and draw a reaction from Seoul, only 50 days after the launch of the new administration and almost immediately after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young was appointed last week. Kim Yo-jong's statement released Monday marks Pyongyang's first official statement on the Lee Jae Myung administration. In late 2023, Kim Jong-un defined inter-Korean ties as "two states hostile to each other, a shift from its previous unification goals and a turn towards a policy to view the South as a separate, hostile state.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
North Korea rejects Seoul's push for dialogue: ‘no greater miscalculation'
Kim Yo-jong, a senior North Korean ruling party official who is believed to speak for the country's leader, said Lee's pledge of commitment to a South Korea-US security alliance showed he was no different from his hostile predecessor. 'If South Korea expects to reverse all the consequences of [its actions] with a few sentimental words, there could be no greater miscalculation than that,' Kim said in comments carried by official KCNA news agency. Lee, who took office on June 4 after winning a snap election called after the removal of hardline conservative Yoon Suk-yeol over a failed attempt at martial law, has vowed to improve ties with Pyongyang that have reached the worst level in years. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has vowed to improve ties with Pyongyang. Photo: Presidential Office/EPA Chang Yong-seok, a senior researcher at Seoul National University's Institute for Peace and Unification Studies, said North Korea wanted the South to take specific steps if it genuinely wanted to reduce tensions.
