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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Hyung-Jin Kim

North Korea dismisses Trump’s bid to woo Kim Jong Un at the expense of longstanding US ally

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the South and North Korea on June 30, 2019 in Panmunjom, South Korea - (Getty)

North Korea has dismissed a decision by Washington to scale back joint military exercises with Seoul, insisting the move does nothing to alter the aggressive character of the drills and dampening hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

The response came in a late-night statement from Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of the North Korean leader, marking the regime's initial reaction to Trump’s directive to significantly scale down the annual joint operations.

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