Trump blinks first, Kim yawns: Pyongyang rejects him with contempt

Kim Yo-jong, the sister and advisor of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, contemptuously rejected Trump's decision to reduce military exercises with South Korea, and denied any connection between the countries. Trump, for his part, stated that he expects to meet with Kim Jong-un later this year.

Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister and advisor of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, yesterday (Wednesday) contemptuously rejected US President Donald Trump's sudden decision to reduce joint military exercises with South Korea. According to her, the American attempt at rapprochement "does not arouse any interest in us." According to a report in the New York Times, Kim issued the statement through state media in Pyongyang. She made clear that if the US believes it can market the step as 'goodwill', it will not receive the desired response, and added that the exercises remain "provocative and aggressive." Additionally, Kim denied any connection between the countries, claiming she is not "aware" of any communication between Pyongyang and Washington – contradicting Trump's claim that Kim Jong-un responded to his overtures. The response comes a day after the Pentagon announced an early end to planned exercises with Seoul, a week before the original date. In the background of the tensions is also the inability of the Trump administration to extricate the US from the war in Iran, now entering its sixth month. The New York Times noted that the decision to reduce the exercises is seen as a punitive move against South Korea, which refused to join the military campaign against Tehran. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, a proponent of reconciliation, urged Trump to ease tensions through direct talks.