Without change in US' stance, another summit unnecessary: Kim Jong's sister

Sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said that another summit with the US was "unnecessary" and "useless" for Pyongyang as long as there was no change in Washington's negotiating position

Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said on Friday that another summit with the US was "unnecessary" and "useless" for Pyongyang as long as there was no change in Washington's negotiating position.

Kim Yo-jong made the remark in a statement carried by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) after US President Donald Trump said earlier this week that he would hold another summit with the North's leader "if I thought it was going to be helpful", reports Yonhap News Agency

"This is my personal opinion but any summit between the US and North Korea will not take place this year," Kim Yo-jong was quoted as saying by the KCNA.

"As long as there is no decisive change in the US position, a summit between North Korea and the U. is unnecessary and useless this year and in the future at least for us."

That, however, does not mean that the North is not going to denuclearize, she added.

"We are not saying we are not going to denuclearize, but that we cannot denuclearize now," Kim Yo-jong, while calling on the US to take "major steps" and drop its "hostile policy" toward the North.

Nuclear talks between the US and the North have stalled since the no-deal summit, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Kim Yo-jong warned that it was "entirely up to the US whether or not they will fall into a messy situation and face trouble", adding: "The US will be worried they might receive a Christmas gift near the elections."

She added that the personal feelings that Kim Jong-un has towards Trump are "undoubtedly solid and excellent", but the North should not adjust its US strategies and nuclear plans based on relations with the American President.

Talk of another Trump-Kim summit gained traction after South Korean President Moon Jae-in told European leaders last month that he would work to make one happen before the US presidential election in November.

On Tuesday, Trump said he was open to a meeting with Kim Jong-un.

--IANS

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