Dialogue possible if Washington abandons denuclearization, says North Korean top leader

Pyongyang: The top leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) said it could resume talks with the United States if Washington drops its preoccupation with denuclearization and seeks peaceful coexistence with the DPRK.

Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs of the DPRK, made the remarks on the second day of the 13th Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK, noting that he still has “good memories” of US President Donald Trump, the official Korean Central News Agency reported Monday.

The DPRK will never abandon its nuclear weapons, Kim said. While acknowledging that the current governments of the United States and South Korea appear open to dialogue and strive to improve relations, he argued their underlying aim remains the same: to weaken the DPRK and topple its system.

The DPRK is committed to ensuring security and safeguarding peace, he said, Xinhua news agency reported.

On relations with South Korea, Kim said that the DPRK would not “sit down with the country” or do anything together.

On September 14, senior DPRK officials had condemned the military drills by the United States, South Korea and Japan, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

Seoul had launched two simultaneous drills, including Freedom Edge, a trilateral outdoor multi-domain exercise with the United States and Japan, and Iron Mace, a tabletop drill simulating a nuclear-attack response with the United States, the South Korean media had reported.

Kim Yo Jong, Vice Department Director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), said the “Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula” fabricated by the United States and South Korea are a dangerous idea.

She said the DPRK will regard it as an unfiltered demonstration of their anti-DPRK confrontational stand and “succession” of confrontational policy.

The reckless show of strength made by the three countries in real action near the DPRK will inevitably bring bad results to themselves, she added.

IANS