By Kyu-seok Shim
SEOUL, Aug 31 (Reuters) – North Korea said on Monday the United States’ hostile policy remained unchanged and vowed to continue strengthening its nuclear force, rejecting repeated U.S. calls for its denuclearisation.
In a statement carried by state media KCNA, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused Washington of maintaining a confrontational stance through its commitment to the “complete denuclearisation” of North Korea, criticism of the country’s human rights record and planned joint military exercises with South Korea and Japan.
“The Trump administration has thus fully reconfirmed its invariable hostile policy to wantonly violate the sovereignty, political system and security interests of the DPRK,” the spokesperson said, using the initials of North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The spokesperson said North Korea’s nuclear weapons were “an absolute guarantee for defending its sovereignty” and that its nuclear status would not be weakened by repeated U.S. denuclearisation demands.
The spokesperson also said expecting any easing of regional tensions was “pointless”.
There is likewise “no change” in North Korea’s policy toward the U.S., the official said.
The statement came after U.S. President Donald Trump this month ordered a major scaling back of the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises between the United States and South Korea.
Trump cited his “very good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and said the drills were costly and sent an unnecessarily hostile signal to Pyongyang.
Trump has been seeking a new summit with the North Korean leader. The two met three times in 2018 and 2019.
Despite the drills reduction, Kim Yo Jong, the North Korean leader’s sister, said this month the exercises remained provocative and aggressive even if their scale and duration were reduced.
Separately, the U.S., South Korea and Japan are due to hold the Freedom Edge exercise, which is intended to improve coordination against nuclear and missile threats, from September 7 to 11, according to Seoul’s military. North Korea has repeatedly denounced the trilateral drill as a threat to regional security.
(Reporting by Kyu-seok ShimEditing by Ed Davies)
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