Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has dismissed the possibility of renewing talks with the United States amid escalating tensions following Pyongyang's satellite launch.
The satellite launch, condemned by South Korea and the US as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, has sparked renewed discord. North Korea, however, defended the launch, asserting it was a legitimate exercise of its right to self-defense.
In a statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, Kim Yo-jong emphasized that the sovereignty of an independent state cannot be subject to negotiation. She categorically stated that North Korea would not engage in face-to-face discussions with the US on this matter, referring to the nation as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Despite three meetings between Kim Jong-un and former US President Donald Trump, denuclearization talks have remained stalled since the collapse of their Hanoi summit in February 2019.
Kim Yo-jong also indicated that North Korea would continue to assert its sovereign rights, suggesting plans for launching more satellites in the near future.
In a noteworthy claim, North Korea stated that its military spy satellite had captured images of US military facilities in San Diego and Japan, as well as the Suez Canal in Egypt. Additionally, the North asserted that the satellite had photographed the White House, the Pentagon, key military installations in South Korea, and US territories such as Guam and Hawaii. However, no related satellite images have been released by North Korea to substantiate these claims.
(With Agency Inputs)
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