North Korea rejects "hostile policy" of the United States

 

 By Simon Kira                November 05, 2019

North Korea on Tuesday denounced a US State Department report calling Pyongyang a "state sponsor of terrorism."

The report "proves once again ... the hostile policy" of the United States toward North Korea, the Foreign Ministry spokesman was quoted by the Korean Central News Agency as saying.

"Channels of dialogue between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United States are shrinking little by little because of such behavior," the agency said.

The State Department's 2018 terrorism report, released on November 1, confirmed North Korea's reclassification as a state sponsor of terrorism.

"The Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism and was involved in assassinations on the territory of foreign countries," the report said.

North Korea and US officials held talks in October after US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed in June to resume nuclear disarmament negotiations.

But the talks failed, with the North's envoy saying the United States had not shown flexibility on the negotiations.

In April this year, Kim set a deadline for nuclear disarmament talks. North Korea and the US are expected to hold another round of negotiations in mid-November.