North Korea says it has zero interest in holding denuclearization talks with the United States,... unless Washington drops what Pyeongyang calls its "hostile policy" against the regime.
The remarks by a senior regime official came despite Seoul and Washington's decision to postpone military exercises in support of diplomatic efforts to denuclearize the North.
Lee Seung-jae reports.
The impasse in the denuclearization negotiations between Pyeongyang and Washington appears likely to rumble on.
North Korea's former top negotiator in nuclear talks, Kim Yong-chol says the regime has no interest in holding denuclearization negotiations with the United States until Washington stops acting in such a hostile way toward the regime.
The statement, carried by the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday,... quoted the vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee,... as demanding the U.S. withdraw from combined military exercises with South Korea or "completely stop the exercises."
Kim added that "postponing the combined military exercises does not guarantee peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, nor does it help diplomatic efforts to solve the problem."
Kim's statement came just hours after another senior North Korean official, Kim Kye-gwan made similar remarks,... saying the North is no longer interested in talks that bring nothing to the regime.
The advisor to the North's foreign ministry said Pyeongyang has received nothing in return so far,... adding North Korea will no longer gift President Trump something "he can boast of" at home.
Kim is apparently referring to President Trump's repeated claims that he averted war with North Korea by holding three summits with Kim Jong-un,... and securing a suspension of the regime's nuclear and missile tests.
Over the weekend, President Trump's took to Twitter to urge North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to "act quickly" and "get a deal done" on the regime's nuclear program.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.