On Thursday, the influential sibling of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rejected U.S. appeals for a diplomatic resolution and criticized its censure of North Korea’s recent spy satellite launch. She pledged additional launches in defiance of United Nations prohibitions.
In a recent session of the U.N. Security Council, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, labeled North Korea’s satellite launch as a “reckless, unlawful” act posing a threat to its neighboring nations. Despite this condemnation, she reiterated the U.S. commitment to engage in dialogue with North Korea without any preconditions, emphasizing that North Korea has the freedom to choose the timing and subject of discussions.
However, Kim Yo Jong, Kim’s sister and a high-ranking official, rebuffed the U.S. offer and issued a warning of further satellite launches and the development of other weaponry.
“The sovereignty of an independent state can never be an agenda item for negotiations, and therefore, [North Korea] will never sit face to face with the U.S. for that purpose,” said Kim Yo Jong, according to state media. “[North Korea] will continue to make efforts to develop everything belonging to its sovereign rights and continue to exercise the sovereign rights, enjoyed by all the member states of the U.N., in a dignified manner without being restricted in the future, too.”
