Kim Jong Un’s Sister Disputes Trump Claim of Secret US-North Korea Contacts
Kim Yo Jong cast doubt on Donald Trump’s assertion that Washington and Pyongyang are communicating, while the U.S. president said he planned to meet Kim Jong Un later in 2026.
In short
- Kim Yo Jong cast doubt on Donald Trump’s assertion that Washington and Pyongyang are communicating, while the U.S.
- president said he planned to meet Kim Jong Un later in 2026.
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, cast doubt on U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Washington and Pyongyang have been holding secret contacts, describing the United States as North Korea’s enemy.
Trump said on Tuesday, August 18, that he planned to meet Kim later in 2026. Asked whether the North Korean leader had responded to a request for talks, Trump said that he had. He also said North Korea possessed 57 nuclear weapons.
The exchange came after the United States announced it would reduce its participation in joint military exercises with South Korea. Seoul has sought to lower military tensions and revive dialogue, but Pyongyang has continued to reject denuclearisation demands. The conflicting accounts leave the existence and scope of any current back-channel contact unclear.
