The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) warned on Friday that a lack of progress in implementing agreements made between U.S. President Donald Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un cast doubt on prospects for a future summit, state news agency KCNA said.
"The U.S. has done nothing for implementing the joint statement" from the first summit between Trump and Kim in Singapore last year, KCNA said, quoting Foreign Ministry advisor Kim Kye Gwan.
The official criticized the joint military drills between the U.S. and Republic of Korea, as well as strengthened sanctions and pressure on Pyongyang.
Negotiations aimed at dismantling the DPRK's nuclear and missile programs have stalled since a failed second summit between Trump and Kim in February.
Pyongyang has said it is willing to restart working-level talks, but no date or location have been set.
Trump said on Monday that he would want to know what would result from a third summit with Kim before agreeing to hold it.
The official stated that "politicians in Washington are obsessed with" the assertion that the DPRK can get access to a bright future only when it abandons its nukes first, and asserted the view that sanctions led Pyongyang to dialogue was "twisted."
"This makes me doubt whether a new breakthrough could be brought about in the DPRK-U.S. relations though another DPRK-U.S. summit talks may open," the official said.
However, Trump is "different from his predecessors in political sense and decision," Kim Kye Gwan added, and so he would like to place hope in Trump's "wise option and bold decision."
Source(s): Reuters