North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong says no chance of improved ties with the South

Powerful sister of North Korean person Kim Jong Un rebukes claims she is unfastened to much “communication”.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has rebuked claims from the South Korean authorities that Pyongyang was leaving country for much “communication” pursuing an incidental involving drones connected the borderline betwixt some countries.

Kim, who is a high-ranking member of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, said the South had committed a “grave provocation by infringing upon the sovereignty” of the North erstwhile it allegedly sent drones implicit the borderline successful September and this month.

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“As acold arsenic Seoul’s assorted hope-filled chaotic dreams called ‘repair of relations’ are concerned, they each tin ne'er travel true,” she said connected Wednesday, according to North Korean authorities media.

Pyongyang archetypal reported the drone incidents connected Saturday, which it described arsenic an “act of provocation”, and published photos of what it said were wrecked drones changeable down adjacent the border.

Seoul swiftly launched an probe and recovered that its subject does not usage the drone models pictured successful the photos, suggesting the unmanned aerial vehicles whitethorn person been launched by South Korean civilians.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung described the incidental arsenic a “serious transgression that threatens bid connected the Korean Peninsula and nationalist security”.

Amid the backmost and distant betwixt Seoul and Pyongyang, Kim followed up with a connection connected Sunday demanding a “detailed explanation” from the South but besides acknowledged that South Korea’s subject had “no volition to provoke oregon irritate us”.

Fragments of what is reported to beryllium a drone prevarication scattered adjacent Kaesong City, North Korea, aft Pyongyang said South Korea had sent a drone into its airspace connected January 4, 2026 [Korean Central News Agency via Reuters]

South Korea’s Ministry of Unification interpreted the connection arsenic a motion that Pyongyang was unfastened to much “communication”, the country’s Yonhap News Agency said.

Statements from the North are cautiously parsed by Seoul for subtle shifts successful code oregon wording that could awesome a alteration successful policy.

Seoul is besides connected precocious alert for immoderate effect from Kim, who is reportedly being groomed to win her member and could 1 time pb North Korea.

But Kim rapidly deed backmost connected Wednesday astatine the Unification Ministry’s appraisal and said its anticipation of a detente oregon much connection was a “poor one”.

She besides criticised a gathering betwixt Lee and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who met successful Japan this week and reaffirmed that Seoul and Tokyo should proceed to enactment with the United States to support bid successful East Asia.

“The main enforcement is truthful engaged with his solicitation diplomacy abroad, and the authorities are going truthful earnestly to unreal that they are to amusement goodwill, harbouring a daydream. But the contiguous code of the relations tin ne'er change,” Kim said, according to the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency.