Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Kim Jong Un's sister says unaware of Trump contact
Kim Jong Un's sister said she was unaware of reported communication between the North Korean leader and US President Donald Trump, after Trump said Kim had responded to his requests for contact.
Kim Yo Jong said Wednesday that she was “completely unaware” of recent reports from Washington about communication between the leaders of North Korea and the United States. She also said Kim Jong Un still had “good memories and feelings” about Trump and that the relationship between them remained “excellent”.
Trump said Monday that Kim had responded to his requests for a conversation, but gave no details. Asked whether Kim had responded, Trump said: “Yeah, he has.”
The comments came as Seoul's military said the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises with the United States would end on August 21, instead of August 27, after the US side suggested shortening them. Trump said Sunday that he had told the Pentagon to curtail the drills, citing his relationship with Kim.
The Pentagon said the “substantially reduced” drills would preserve essential readiness and cause no degradation to US training objectives. The exercises are designed to prepare for a possible attack by North Korea.
Kim Yo Jong dismissed the reduction, saying North Korea did not consider it worth commenting on. She said reducing the scale or duration of the exercises did not change what she called their “provocative and aggressive” character.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told lawmakers that Seoul had not been informed in advance of Trump's plan to downsize the drills.
North Korea has long objected to US-South Korean military exercises, describing them as rehearsals for invasion. The United States stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea.
Update
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises would end on August 21 instead of August 27 at the suggestion of the US side.
The Pentagon said the substantially reduced drills would preserve essential readiness and not degrade US training objectives.
Kim Yo Jong said Kim Jong Un still had good memories and feelings about Donald Trump and that their relationship remained excellent.
Kim Yo Jong dismissed the drill reduction and said the exercises remained provocative and aggressive.
South Korea's foreign minister said Seoul had not been informed in advance of Trump's plan to downsize the drills.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 14:29:08 UTC.
Update
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister said she was unaware of reported communication between Kim and US President Donald Trump.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 13:15:04 UTC.
Update
South Korea's presidential office said Tuesday that the drills did not reflect any intention to attack North Korea or escalate tensions on the Korean peninsula.
President Lee Jae Myung said, according to his office, that the drills' fundamental purpose was to safeguard people's safe and peaceful daily lives.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 August 2026 at 02:02:54 UTC.
Update
US lawmakers and foreign policy analysts expressed concern that the move raised questions about US reliability as an ally in Asia.
The USS George Washington aircraft carrier is being redeployed from the Pacific to the Middle East, leaving no such vessel in the region for now, according to the item.
Victor Cha said the drill scale-back appeared to signal Trump's desire to meet Kim Jong Un again.
Richard Haass and Richard Fontaine criticised the move in public posts.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 August 2026 at 21:41:32 UTC.
Update
Senate Armed Services Committee ranking Democrat Jack Reed criticised Trump's order to scale back the Korean drills and said China and Russia were watching.
Trump linked his criticism of South Korea to Seoul not helping with US military action involving Iran.
The source adds that the USS George Washington was being redeployed from the Pacific region to the Middle East.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 August 2026 at 19:29:20 UTC.
Update
Senior US senators from both parties criticized Trump’s decision to scale back the exercises.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis condemned the decision on X.
Democratic House members Pramila Jayapal and Frank Pallone also criticized Trump over the move.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 August 2026 at 15:50:16 UTC.
Update
North Korea recently test-fired a ballistic missile over the Sea of Japan and warned it could respond to the exercises with a "new level of deterrent".
Beijing said maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula was in all parties' interests.
Analysts quoted by AFP said scaling back the drills could weaken alliance coordination and was unlikely to move Pyongyang unless the exercises were fully cancelled.
The USS George Washington aircraft carrier is being redeployed from the Pacific region to the Middle East, according to the item.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 August 2026 at 14:40:32 UTC.
Update
Trump also cited South Korea's refusal to join the United States in the "denuclearization" of Iran as a reason for his order.
Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed said Trump was cutting exercises to flatter North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and punishing South Korea for declining to join what Reed called a war Trump started.
Reed called the decision a "propaganda victory" for Kim and said China and Russia would notice how Trump treats allies.
Reed said Trump's post contradicted a recent warning from NORTHCOM Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Joseph Jarrard about North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile capability.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 August 2026 at 13:18:10 UTC.
Update
Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed criticised Trump's order to scale back the drills as “inane” and “haphazard”.
Reed said China and Russia were watching how easily Trump abandons allies.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 August 2026 at 12:48:32 UTC.
Update
Trump also criticised South Korea over what he described as its refusal to join the United States in denuclearising Iran.
South Korea's presidential office said it hoped Trump's relationship with Kim Jong Un would lead to meaningful dialogue.
China's foreign ministry said it had noted reports about possible US-North Korea dialogue and said peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula were in all parties' interests.
Experts quoted by AFP said scaling back the drills could weaken alliance coordination and that North Korea was unlikely to treat anything short of cancellation as meaningful.
Source note: AFP news report published on 17 August 2026 at 09:38:35 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
Whether any direct communication took place between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump is disputed by the available statements.
Trump did not provide details about any response from Kim Jong Un.
Source
AFP news report published on .