Senior N. Korean official warns U.S. not to ignore year-end deadline for nuclear talks

  • 4 years ago
North Korea has warned the U.S.,... saying Washington would be "seriously mistaken" to ignore the regime's year-end deadline to break the impasse in denuclearisation talks.
The regime also cautioned the U.S. not to exploit the friendship between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un to slow down the process.
Kan Hyeong-woo reports.
North Korea is pressuring the U.S. to come up with a different approach in denuclearization talks by the end of the year,... threatening serious consequences if it fails to do so.
In a statement released Sunday on the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency,... the Vice Chairman of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party Kim Yong-chol said the U.S. would be "seriously mistaken" to ignore the year-end deadline.
He also warned the U.S. against delaying tactics that capitalize on the close relationship between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and President Donald Trump.
Kim Yong-chol did credit their personal ties for keeping Pyeongyang-Washington relations from completely falling apart... due to what he called "hostile acts and wrong habitual practices on the part of the U.S."
But he said the two leaders' personal rapport can only accomplish so much, saying no substantial progress has been made otherwise in North Korea-U.S. relations... and QUOTE-"an exchange of fire" could happen at any moment.
Kim also criticized Washington's call on North Korea to come up with a new proposal for final, fully-verified denuclearization... during last month's UN General Assembly meeting.
He said the U.S. is now reverting back to a hostile policy towards North Korea and it's misjudging the patience and tolerance of the regime.
Kim Yong-chol was the regime's former point man in nuclear talks with the U.S.,... but he was replaced by Jang Kum-chol after the breakdown of the Hanoi summit in February.
Kan Hyeong-woo, Arirang News.

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