North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong says no chance of improved ties with the South

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by Erin HaleJanuary 14, 2026 at 08:12 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, refuted claims that North Korea is open to improved relations with South Korea. Her statement on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, followed an incident involving alleged South Korean drone incursions into North Korean territory in September and January. Kim described the drone flights as a "grave provocation" and rejected any possibility of repairing relations with Seoul. South Korea launched an investigation and claimed that the drone models pictured by North Korea are not used by the South Korean military. The South Korean Ministry of Unification had interpreted a previous statement from Kim as a sign of openness to communication, which she has now explicitly denied.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Yonhap News Agency 30% Kaesong City 40% Ministry of Unification 40% Workers' Party 50% Lee Jae Myung 60% Seoul ×370% Kim Jong Un ×270% Pyongyang ×370% Kim Yo Jong ×290% South Korea ×790% North Korea ×490%

Keywords

south korea 100% north korea 100% kim yo jong 90% inter-korean relations 80% drone incident 70% communication 60% provocation 50% national security 40%