Kim Yo Jong Rules Out US Dialogue as North Korea Fires Missiles
North Korea has closed the door on renewed talks with Washington and fired several missiles into the Sea of Japan, marking its fourth weapons launch in a month, Al Jazeera reported. The launches came hours after Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, declared that Pyongyang saw no need to meet “unreliable and hostile” US officials until Washington abandoned what she called its hostile policy.
Joint Chiefs detected the missiles Wednesday from the Sondok area on North Korea’s eastern coast, with Seoul and Washington analyzing the details. The military did not immediately identify the weapon type or exact number fired, CTV News reported.
Binance Hack Denial Precedes the Launches
The missile tests followed a day after Pyongyang dismissed FBI allegations linking it to the theft of more than $6 billion in cryptocurrency from Binance, the world’s largest exchange. The FBI attributed the heist to North Korean hackers in the TraderTraitor group, which also carried out a $1.5 billion attack on the Bybit exchange last year, Al Jazeera reported.
Kim Yo Jong called the FBI announcement “an extension of Washington’s invariable hostile policy toward” North Korea and stated that dialogue, while part of the choice for peace, was “not surely equated with national interests” for Pyongyang.
How the Standoff Unfolded This Week
Tuesday brought a test of a new cluster warhead for strategic cruise missiles, which North Korea claimed could destroy 5 to 6 hectares with “high-density power.” Wednesday morning brought Kim Yo Jong’s statement rejecting dialogue, followed by the missile launches from Sondok. State media also reported that Kim Jong Un visited a naval shipyard building a destroyer and stressed the need for a powerful navy, NBC News reported.
The launches cap a month of accelerated testing that has included a submarine-launched ballistic missile, hypersonic missiles, attack drones, and cluster bombs designed for ballistic missiles, Al Jazeera reported.
Tests Point to Leverage-Building and Possible Russia Exports
Analysts say the weapons testing likely aims to increase Pyongyang’s leverage in any future diplomacy with the US. Lee Choon-geun, a missile expert at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, told NBC News that frequent tests suggest North Korea may be nearing mass production or preparing bulk exports to Russia, both of which require extensive testing before deployment.
The standoff unfolds against President Donald Trump’s stated plan to meet Kim Jong Un later this year, a revival of the relationship Trump claims he forged during his first term. Previous talks in 2019 ended abruptly over disagreements on North Korea’s nuclear program, and the US, South Korea, and Japan reiterated in October their demand for complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Al Jazeera reported.
What Remains Unknown About Wednesday’s Launches
South Korean authorities have not disclosed what type of missiles were fired or how many reached the sea. Tensions have also deepened since September mine blasts at the inter-Korean border wounded three South Korean soldiers; Seoul accused Pyongyang of burying the mines and demanded an apology, while North Korea denied responsibility and threatened retaliation, CTV News reported.
Questions About the Binance Theft and North Korea’s Missile Tests
How much was stolen in the Binance hack? Hackers took more than $6 billion, which Binance described as appearing to be the largest cryptocurrency heist on record, Al Jazeera reported.
Who does the FBI blame for the theft? The FBI attributed the attack to North Korean hackers in a group called TraderTraitor, the same group behind the $1.5 billion Bybit exchange hack last year.
Has North Korea admitted responsibility? No. Pyongyang dismissed the FBI announcement as “a trite provocation” and denied involvement in the theft.
What did Kim Yo Jong say about meeting the US? She ruled out dialogue until the US abandons its hostile policy, saying North Korea has “no need to sit face to face with such unreliable and hostile persons.”