Kim Yo Jong rejected U.S. calls for North Korean denuclearization as an "anachronistic dream," saying Pyongyang will expand its nuclear forces amid perceived U.S.-led threats. Her comments came a day before Chinese President Xi Jinping's first visit to North Korea in seven years. State media report that Kim Jong Un ordered missile production to rise 2.5 times over five years and vowed to grow nuclear forces "at an exponential rate." Analysts say Xi's visit is likely intended to reassert Chinese influence and may prioritize economic aid over pressing denuclearization.
Kim Yo Jong Calls U.S. Denuclearization Push an 'Anachronistic Dream' — Pyongyang Vows Nuclear Expansion Ahead of Xi Visit
FILE - Kim Yo Jong, a sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam, March 2, 2019. (Jorge Silva/Pool Photo via AP, File)(Jorge Silva/Pool Reuters via AP)
The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, senior official Kim Yo Jong, on Sunday dismissed U.S. efforts to push Pyongyang to denuclearize as an "anachronistic dream," and said North Korea will steadily expand its nuclear arsenal in response to what she described as U.S.-led threats.
Her statement came a day before Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Pyongyang — his first trip to the country in seven years — for talks with Kim Jong Un.
What Kim Yo Jong Said
Using the abbreviation for the country's formal name, Kim Yo Jong said the "U.S. assertion to backbite the status of the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state has no legally binding force and no one will be bound by the U.S. unilateral rhetoric." She also rejected as "false information" a U.S. statement that Donald Trump and Xi Jinping recently affirmed a shared goal of denuclearizing North Korea.
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, front right, visits a new facility to produce nuclear bomb fuels at an undisclosed place in North Korea Wednesday, June 3, 2026. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)(KCNA via KNS via AP)
"Some officials in the United States have failed to wake from their escapist and anachronistic dream," Kim Yo Jong said, dismissing Washington's posture toward Pyongyang.
Recent Developments In Pyongyang
Analysts note Pyongyang has prioritized expanding its nuclear capabilities since high-stakes diplomacy with Donald Trump faltered in 2019. State media reported that during a recent visit to a new nuclear materials production plant, Kim Jong Un said North Korea would bolster its nuclear forces "at an exponential rate." He also reportedly toured a weapons factory and ordered a plan to raise missile production capacity by 2.5 times over a five-year period.
Regional Implications
Kim Yo Jong accused the U.S. and South Korea of driving "ceaseless arms build-ups" and described her brother's program to "steadily beef up the nuclear war deterrent for self-defense" as an "irreversible final conclusion to be carried out unconditionally." Observers say Xi's visit is likely aimed at reasserting Chinese influence over North Korea — whose foreign-policy alignment has moved closer to Russia in recent years — and that Beijing may emphasize economic assistance over pressing denuclearization.
North Korea has reportedly provided troops and conventional weapons to support Russia's war in Ukraine; South Korean and U.S. officials say Pyongyang has received economic and other assistance from Moscow in return. The developments complicate an already tense regional security environment and raise fresh questions about how Beijing will balance influence, security concerns and economic ties during Xi's visit.
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