Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un and a senior official in the ruling Workers’ Party, stated that her country should no longer be expected to give up its nuclear capabilities.

She emphasized that the personal relationship between her brother and former US President Donald Trump should not be seen as a basis for pushing Pyongyang toward denuclearization.

In a statement shared through the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim said that any future discussions must start from the premise that North Korea is now a nuclear state and that this status cannot be reversed.

She also pointed out that since the earlier talks between the two nations, North Korea’s strategic capabilities and its position on the global stage have evolved significantly.

Kim warned that any attempt to deny this shift will be strongly opposed. According to her, North Korea is prepared to consider all possibilities to protect its national interests. She also noted that it is in no one’s interest for two nuclear-armed states to pursue a path of confrontation.

While she acknowledged the cordial nature of the relationship between the North Korean and US leaders, she made it clear that using that personal connection as a tool for denuclearization would be seen as insincere.

Kim concluded by saying that if the United States refuses to accept the new reality and continues to rely on outdated approaches, future talks will remain nothing more than an American wish.

Trump and Kim Jong-un held three meetings between 2018 and 2019 in attempts to trade North Korea’s nuclear disarmament for economic and security benefits. However, those efforts eventually stalled without a lasting agreement.

North Korea is believed to possess around 50 nuclear warheads and maintains that its nuclear program is essential for deterring potential attacks from the United States and South Korea, which routinely conduct military exercises near its territory.