Kim Jong-un's sister signals North Korea open to talks with Trump on her terms

Kim Jong-un's influential sister has signalled Pyongyang's willingness to restart talks with Washington while insisting North Korea will dictate the terms of any engagement, analysts say.

Kim Yo-jong issued a statement through state media late Wednesday that rejected Donald Trump's recent scaling back of joint US-South Korea military exercises as insufficient, calling instead for their complete suspension and criticising what the North describes as Washington's "hostile" policy. The statement came after Trump said he expected to meet the North Korean leader later this year.

Calculated Response Leaves Room for Diplomacy

Despite the critical tone, experts noted Kim Yo-jong avoided closing the door on Trump's outreach. The statement used precise language designed to preserve diplomatic space whilst establishing Pyongyang's preconditions for renewed summit talks, analysts said.

She neither confirmed nor denied Trump's assertion that Kim Jong-un had responded positively to his latest approach, stating only that this was "perhaps" the sole foreign policy matter involving the country's "supreme leadership" about which she lacked information.

Personal Ties to Trump Highlighted

Kim Yo-jong also stressed that North Korea has repeatedly said her brother maintains "personally good memories and feelings" towards Trump. The reference to the leaders' personal rapport appeared deliberately tailored for the US president.

Analysts interpreted the carefully constructed message as North Korea's way of emphasising it will set the conditions for resuming dialogue. The statement reveals Pyongyang's strategy of keeping diplomatic channels nominally open whilst demanding Washington meet specific demands before substantive talks can proceed.

Source: South China Morning Post