(LEAD) N.K. leader's sister says Pyongyang more focused on S. Korea-U.S. drills continuing than reduced scale

Pyongyang's powerful sister, Kim Yo-jong, emphasized on Wednesday that the ongoing South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises are more concerning to North Korea than the recent decision to reduce their scale, according to Pyongyang's state media. As South Korea and the U.S. scaled down their annual combined drills at Washington's request following President Donald Trump's orders, Kim stated that the continuation of these joint exercises signals hostility towards North Korea.

She asserted that reducing the scale or duration of the drills does not alter the provocative and aggressive nature of the military exercises. Kim also mentioned that she was unaware of any recent communication between the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea, stating that she knows "absolutely nothing" about it. Trump had previously claimed that his conversation with Kim was "very positive."

Kim Yo-jong highlighted that the North Korean leader holds positive personal memories and feelings towards Trump but stressed that the U.S. continues to carry out hostile military activities against North Korea. When discussing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's announcement about North Korea planning to deploy additional troops, Kim dismissed the claim as "completely groundless."