North Korea on Wednesday said that the move by US President Donald Trump to “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea does not change what it sees as the provocative nature of the drills.
The comment was made by Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
“We think it’s not worth making comments on that and we have no interest in it at all,” Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by state media.
“The provocative, aggressive nature of the drills won’t change even though their duration and size were reduced,” she added citing a series of other military drills carried out by the US and South Korea earlier this year.
Kim Yo Jong also denied claims made by Trump that both the leaders are having any kind of communication. Earlier this week, Trump replying to a question by a reporter whether he had a conversation with Kim Jong Un, Trump said that Kim had responded to his request for a conversation.
Trump on Aug 17 had said the US will “substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his “very good relationship” with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un. He said that these exercise costs a lot to the US.
“Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I am not happy with the fact that the United States has, long ago, agreed to participate in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea. These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful,” wrote Trump.