North Korea says hopes for nuclear talks fading after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s ‘rogue behaviour’ comment
- In a speech to veterans, Pompeo touted the Trump administration’s foreign policy and said ‘North Korea’s rogue behaviour could not be ignored’
- This infuriated North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, who branded Pompeo’s comments ‘thoughtless’
“Our expectations of dialogue with the US are gradually disappearing and we are being pushed to re-examine all the measures we have taken so far,” Choe said.
“We are very curious about the background of the American top diplomat’s thoughtless remarks and we will watch what calculations he has. The US had better not put any longer our patience to the test with such remarks irritating us if it doesn’t want to have bitter regrets afterward.”
Pompeo in a speech to US veterans in Indiana on Tuesday said the Trump administration recognised that “North Korea’s rogue behaviour could not be ignored” while touting its approach in foreign policy.
“Americanism – it means telling the truth about the challenges we face,” Pompeo said. “Look, this administration didn’t pretend that the Islamic Republic of Iran was a responsible actor in the Middle East. We called out China’s bad behaviour on trade and on national security. We recognised – we recognised that North Korea’s rogue behaviour could not be ignored.”
Since the breakdown in Hanoi, the North has repeatedly demanded that Washington remove Pompeo from the nuclear negotiations, accusing him of maintaining a hardline stance on sanctions and distorting Pyongyang’s statements, while avoiding direct criticism of Trump.
