Kim Yo Jong denies Trump communication, rejects reduced drills as provocative

Kim Yo Jong, a senior North Korean official and sister of leader Kim Jong Un, on Wednesday dismissed President Donald Trump’s claim of recent communication between the two leaders and rejected his decision to scale back joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises, stating the reduced drills remain provocative. Her statement, carried by state media on August 19, 2026, directly contradicted Trump’s assertion from two days earlier that Kim had responded positively to his outreach for dialogue. The comments came as Washington and Seoul confirmed they were cutting short the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, ending them on August 21 instead of August 27, at Trump’s request.

Kim Yo Jong said she was “completely unaware” of any recent talks between her brother and Trump. “It is likely the only matter concerning our top leadership’s foreign policy that I am unaware of,” she stated. She acknowledged that Kim Jong Un has “good memories and feelings” toward Trump and that the personal relationship between the leaders remains “excellent,” but she stressed this does not change Pyongyang’s view of U.S. policy. “We are paying greater attention to the reality that joint military exercises...