US has ‘wrong’ expectations from North Korea: Kim Jong Un’s sister

The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Tuesday that Washington had “wrong” expectations regarding talks with Pyongyang and that it would face a major “disappointment”, state media reported.

Kim Yo Jong’s comments followed comments by the US President’s National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, who indicated that the North Korean leader’s reaction to Washington’s recent review of his approach to relations with North Korea was an “interesting sign”. .

US President Joe Biden’s administration promised a pragmatic and balanced approach based on diplomatic efforts to persuade North Korea to give up its banned weapons and ballistic missile programs.

In response, Kim Jong Un said last week that Pyongyang should be prepared for both talks and confrontations with the Americans.

Washington found these comments interesting, Sullivan told ABC News, adding that the US government “will wait to see if there is any kind of more direct communication with us about a possible way forward.”

However, Kim Yo Jong – his brother’s chief adviser – wanted to dismiss hopes of an upcoming resumption of talks.

The United States is seeking to “feel good about itself,” said a statement released by the official KCNA news agency.

According to the leader’s sister, Washington has “wrong” expectations that “will plunge him into even greater despair.”

Meanwhile, the US Special Representative for North Korea announced during a visit to Seoul on Monday that Washington is ready to meet with Pyongyang “wherever and whenever and without preconditions.”

Hours before the release of Kim Yo Jong’s statement, US envoy Sung Kim met with South Korea’s unification minister and reiterated the Joe Biden government’s willingness to speak with North Korea.

This weekend, Pyongyang admitted it was dealing with a food crisis, sounding the alarm with a dying agricultural sector that has long struggled to meet its food needs. was doing.

The shortfall in North Korea was exacerbated by self-imposed isolation in the country to prevent the entry of the coronavirus and a decline in trade with China, its main economic subsistence.

CDL / SLB / IS / JVB / ZM