Kim Jong Un's Younger Brother Denies US-China Claims on North Korean Nuclear

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (Wikimedia Commons - 주식회사문화방송)  

JAKARTA - Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has denied claims that the United States and China have a common goal of denuclearizing North Korea. Denuclearization means the elimination or cessation of a nuclear weapons program.

Quoted from a Kyodo News report, Sunday, June 7, the statement was made by Kim Yo Jong ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's two-day visit to North Korea starting Monday. It seems to show that Pyongyang does not want its nuclear program to be the main menu for Xi and Kim Jong Un's meeting.

Kim Yo Jong, a senior official of the ruling party in North Korea, said the claim was a way for the US to spread false information.

"We have the most accurate information on the facts," Kim Yo Jong said, according to the Korean Central News Agency or KCNA, quoted by Kyodo News.

The statement hinted that North Korea may have received an explanation from China regarding the results of Xi's meeting with US President Donald Trump in Beijing in mid-May.

The White House previously said the US and China had a common goal regarding North Korean denuclearization in a fact sheet after the Xi-Trump meeting. However, Beijing did not mention the issue in its official statement.

Kim Yo Jong also stressed that North Korea would not discuss its sovereignty and security with any party.

"We also reiterate that we do not discuss with anyone our core sovereignty and security," he said.

He said the goal of denuclearization was probably only Washington's hope. According to him, some US officials have not woken up from their "escape and anachronistic dreams".

According to a Kyodo News report, Kim Yo Jong reiterated North Korea's policy line to continue to strengthen its nuclear war deterrent for self-defense. He called the policy a final decision that cannot be changed and must be carried out unconditionally.

Xi is scheduled to visit North Korea for the first time since 2019. China's Foreign Ministry said Xi and Kim Jong Un would exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of common interest. However, Beijing did not provide further details.

At the same time, KCNA reported that Kim Jong Un inspected a major ammunition industry company on Saturday. The visit was said to be to inspect the production of major weapons by the first half of 2026.

Kim also called for a 2.5-fold increase in the production capacity of various ballistic missiles and cruise missiles in the five-year defense development plan period starting this year.

Kim Yo Jong's statement shows Pyongyang still places its nuclear program as part of its national security policy, even though the US calls for North Korea's denuclearization a common goal with China.