North Korea has issued its first official remarks on President Donald Trump’s return to office, stating that relations with the U.S. are “not bad” — but cautioning that any attempt to restart denuclearization talks would be pointless and even insulting.
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, delivered the statement through state media, making clear that Pyongyang has no interest in returning to the negotiating table if denuclearization is the agenda.
“The relationship between President Donald Trump and our leader is not hostile,” she said. “But any push for denuclearization would be nothing but a mockery. Our nuclear arsenal has grown significantly since the last talks, and there will be no future summits under those conditions.”
Kim Yo Jong, who plays a key role in shaping North Korea’s foreign policy and U.S. relations, did not completely rule out future dialogue — unlike her more definitive rejection of talks with South Korea — but insisted Washington must “accept the changed reality.”
“If the U.S. continues to cling to outdated expectations and failed strategies, any meeting with the DPRK will remain a mere fantasy on their side,” she said, using the country’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
She advised the U.S. to “seek another way of contact” that reflects the current power dynamics.
President Trump, who famously dubbed Kim Jong Un “Little Rocket Man” during his first term, made history by holding three summits with the North Korean leader — in Singapore (2018), Hanoi (2019), and at the Korean Demilitarized Zone later that year, where he became the first sitting U.S. president to step into North Korea. However, none of the meetings produced a nuclear disarmament deal, and crippling sanctions on North Korea remain in place.
Kim Yo Jong’s remarks came shortly after a Yonhap News Agency report quoted an unnamed White House official saying Trump “remains open to engaging with Leader Kim to achieve a fully denuclearized North Korea.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt previously said the president hopes to build on the summits from his first term.
On Monday, Trump released a statement marking the 72nd anniversary of the end of the Korean War, highlighting his diplomatic efforts in the region.
“I was proud to become the first sitting President to cross the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea,” Trump said. “Despite the lingering evils of communism in Asia, the U.S.-South Korea alliance remains ironclad to this day.”
North Korea’s nuclear program has continued to expand in recent years, and Kim Yo Jong’s message underscores the regime’s hardened stance.
While the White House has signaled openness to dialogue, North Korea appears to be drawing a firm line — no talks if denuclearization is on the table.
