Kim Yo-jong Dismisses Trump's Claims of Secret US-North Korea Talks

By David Okafor

Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has publicly refuted claims by former US President Donald Trump regarding secret communications between the United States and North Korea. Trump's statements, made on August 19, 2026, suggested that he and Kim Jong-un were engaged in undisclosed negotiations and planned to meet later this year, possibly at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen.

Trump also claimed that North Korea possesses 57 nuclear weapons, a figure he described as 'very powerful.' This assertion was made in the context of announcing a reduction in US participation in military exercises with South Korea, a key US ally in the region.

In response, Kim Yo-jong issued a statement through North Korean state media, expressing her lack of knowledge about any such communications or plans for a meeting. She emphasized that while Trump and Kim Jong-un may have shared positive personal interactions in the past, the United States remains an adversary due to its ongoing hostile policies and military activities against Pyongyang.

Kim Yo-jong further remarked that Trump's claims were the only matters she was unaware of concerning North Korea's foreign policy, casting significant doubt on the former president's assertions.