The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rebuffed overtures by South Korea’s new liberal government, saying Monday that its “blind trust” in the country's alliance with the U.S. and hostility toward North Korea make it no different from its conservative predecessor.

South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said during a press conference on July 28, reported by The Korea Times, that he will propose adjusting the scale of South Korea-U.S. joint military drills. "The issue will be a key topic of discussion at the working-level National Security Council meeting scheduled for tomorrow [Tuesday]."

New talks between North Korea and the United States are possible if Washington drops its demand that Pyongyang rid itself of nuclear weapons, Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister suggested in a statement released by state media Tuesday.