Against the backdrop of reports in American media about preparations for a possible personal meeting between the leaders of the US and North Korea in Pyongyang, an unexpected statement was made. According to Reuters, Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, publicly stated that she "knows absolutely nothing" about recent reports from Washington regarding contacts between the two leaders. At the same time, she emphasized that her brother "still has good memories and feelings" toward Donald Trump, and confirmed that relations between the two leaders remain "very good."
Kim Yo-jong's statement: formal ignorance with a warm tone
Kim Yo-jong's rhetoric combines two contradictory messages: on the one hand, an official denial of awareness of any contacts, and on the other, a public display of personal sympathy for the American president. This approach is characteristic of Pyongyang's diplomacy, where formal "ignorance" allows it to preserve negotiating room without committing Pyongyang to specific agreements, while the emphasis on "good feelings" signals a readiness for dialogue provided the "personal" channel of communication between the leaders is maintained.
Trump confirms intention to meet and mentions 57 warheads
On the same day, Donald Trump told journalists at the White House that he expects a meeting with Kim Jong Un and that "everything will be fine with him as long as we have a reasonable president." The American president stressed that good relations with the North Korean leader "are good, not bad," and at the same time reminded of North Korea's nuclear arsenal, stating: "He has 57 very powerful nuclear warheads." Thus, Washington ties the prospect of contact to the issue of nuclear disarmament.
Possible venue: trip to Asia and the APEC forum in Shenzhen
As the Wall Street Journal previously reported, citing American officials, Trump had privately discussed the possibility of a personal meeting with Kim Jong Un during his upcoming trip to Asia and urged his aides to arrange this contact, possibly as early as this fall. According to sources, the trip may take place in November, when world leaders will gather in Shenzhen (China) for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. This makes the Chinese city a potential neutral venue for the summit.
Contradictory data
There are notable inconsistencies in the statements of the parties. First, Kim Yo-jong publicly denies awareness of any contacts, while American officials and Trump himself openly speak of preparations for a meeting — formally, these are mutually exclusive positions. Second, according to the North Korean agency KCNA, Kim Jong Un stated that "the hostile policy of the United States toward North Korea has not changed," which directly contradicts the tone of "very good relations" being conveyed by both Pyongyang through the leader's sister and Washington through Trump. Third, regarding timing: the WSJ points to "fall," while the specific trip to Shenzhen falls in November, which is already beyond the calendar autumn — a chronological inconsistency that the parties do not clarify.
Pyongyang's reaction to the shortening of US–South Korean drills
A separate signal was Kim Jong Un's reaction to the decision by Washington and Seoul to conclude the annual joint military exercises about a week earlier than scheduled. According to KCNA, the North Korean leader called this a "sudden statement by the US" and declared that Pyongyang "does not consider this worthy of comment and is not at all interested in it." The statement came a few hours after the announcement of the early conclusion of the maneuvers, indicating North Korea's desire not to treat gestures of goodwill as a basis for changing its own position.
