Kim Jong Un's Sister Shuts the Door on a US Hope

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un dismissed America's intent to resume diplomacy on North Korea's denuclearization, saying Tuesday the North flatly opposes any attempt to deny its position as a nuclear weapons state. Since beginning his second term in January, President Trump has repeatedly bragged of his personal ties with Kim Jong Un and expressed hopes of restarting nuclear diplomacy between them.

Their high-stakes diplomacy in 2018-19 unraveled after Trump rejected Kim's calls for extensive sanctions relief in return for dismantling his main nuclear complex, a limited denuclearization step. Kim has since performed a provocative run of weapons tests to modernize and expand his nuclear arsenal, reports the AP. What you need to know:

• A reference to the recent past: In a statement carried by state media, Kim Yo Jong said that "It is worth taking into account the fact that the year 2025 is neither 2018 nor 2019."
• Standout quote: "Any attempt to deny the position of the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state which was established along with the existence of a powerful nuclear deterrent and fixed by the supreme law reflecting the unanimous will of all the DPRK people will be thoroughly rejected," she said, referring to her country by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
• Impetus: She said she was responding to reported comments by a US official that Trump is still open to talks with Kim Jong Un on the North's complete denuclearization. She likely was referring to a Saturday article by Yonhap news agency that cited an unidentified White House official as saying that Trump "remains open to engaging with Leader Kim to achieve a fully denuclearized North Korea."
• The men's ties: Kim Yo Jong said she doesn't deny the personal relationship between her brother and Trump "is not bad." But she said if their personal relations are to serve the purpose of North Korea's denuclearization, North Korea would view it as "nothing but a mockery. ... If the US fails to accept the changed reality and persists in the failed past, the DPRK- US meeting will remain as a 'hope' of the US side," Kim Yo Jong said.
• Context: Her comments suggested complete denuclearization won't be up for negotiation. Experts earlier said North Korea would only be interested in talks on a partial surrender of its nuclear capability in return for sanctions relief and other benefits, a tactic that could allow North Korea to retain some of its key nuclear weapons after winning what it wants from the US.