The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Kim Yo-jong, said today that US President Donald Trump's decision to scale down joint military exercises between the US and South Korea is not worth commenting, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
“As for the scaling down of joint military exercises conducted by the US and South Korea announced by the US president, we do not think it is worth commenting and find it absolutely of no interest to us“, Kim Yo-jong said in a statement.
The statement is Pyongyang's first official reaction to Trump's decision to scale down joint US-South Korean military exercises. The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises were shortened from 11 to 5 days, and the scope of field training was also reduced.
However, Kim Yo-jong stressed that for Pyongyang, the very fact that the exercises are continuing is more important than the decision to reduce their scale. North Korea traditionally defines joint maneuvers as preparation for a possible attack on the country.
Washington's decision came after Trump called the exercises expensive and inappropriate and said that his relationship with Kim Jong-un is good. The move was seen as a signal of a possible renewal of diplomatic efforts between Washington and Pyongyang.
Despite the reduction in exercises, North Korea continues to view military cooperation between the United States and South Korea as a threat to its security.