North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the breakdown in talks with the United States has raised the risks of reviving tensions and that he is only interested in meeting President Donald Trump again if the United States comes with the right attitude, state media KCNA said on Saturday.
Mr Kim said that he will wait “till the end of this year” for the United States to decide to be more flexible, according to KCNA.
“It is essential for the US to quit its current calculation method and approach us with new one,” he said in a speech to the Supreme People’s Assembly on Friday, KCNA said.
Mr Trump and Mr Kim have met twice, in Hanoi in February and Singapore in June, building goodwill but failing to agree on a deal to lift sanctions in exchange for North Korea abandoning its nuclear and missile programmes.
Mr Trump said on Thursday he is open to meeting Mr Kim again, but in his speech on Friday, the North Korean leader said the outcome in Hanoi led him to question the strategy he embraced last year of international engagement and talks with the United States.
The Hanoi summit “aroused a strong question if we were right in taking the steps with strategic decision and bold resolution, and evoked vigilance as to the US true willingness to improve its relations with the DPRK,” Mr Kim said, using the initials of North Korea’s full name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
In Hanoi, the United States came “to the talks only racking its brain to find ways that are absolutely impracticable” and did “not really ready itself to sit with us face-to-face and settle the problem,” the North Korean leader said.
“If it [the United States] keeps thinking that way, it will never be able to move the DPRK even a knuckle nor gain any interests no matter how many times it may sit for talks with the DPRK.” he said.
“We will wait for a bold decision from the US with patience till the end of this year but I think it will definitely be difficult to get such a good opportunity as the previous summit,” Mr Kim added.
Mr Kim said his personal relationship with Mr Trump is still good but that he had no interest in a third summit if it were a repeat of Hanoi.
At a meeting with the South Korean president on Thursday, Mr Trump expressed a willingness for a third summit with North Korea but said Washington would leave sanctions in place on Pyongyang.
Mr Kim said the United States “is further escalating the hostility to us with each passing day despite its suggestion for settling the issue through dialogue.” The current US policy of sanctions and pressure is “as foolish and dangerous an act as trying to put out fire with oil,” he added.
Still, Kim said he would not hesitate to sign an agreement if it takes into account both countries’ considerations. – Reuters