North Korea’s foreign minister said Saturday that the country was alarmed at recent shifts in U.S. attitudes toward the country, accusing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of moves that destabilized the agreement struck by President Trump and Kim Jong Un in June.
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum that Pompeo had made “alarming” statements to the group when requesting that sanctions on Pyongyang remain intact, Reuters reported.
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“We have initiated goodwill measures of, inter alia, a moratorium on nuclear tests and rocket launch tests and dismantling of nuclear test ground,” Ri said Saturday.
“However, the United States, instead of responding to these measures, is raising its voice louder for maintaining the sanctions against the DPRK and showing the attitude to retreat even from declaring the end of the war, a very basic and primary step for providing peace on the Korean peninsula,” he added, using the acronym for the official name for North Korea.
“What is alarming however is the insistent moves manifested within the U.S. to go back to the old, far from its leader’s intention.”
Despite the accusations levied at Pompeo, Ri told the forum that Kim’s government remains committed to the agreement struck with Trump at the June summit in Singapore.
The agreement called for the eventual dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear program in exchange for unspecific security guarantees from the United States.
“The DPRK stands firm in its determination and commitment for implementing the DPRK-U.S. Joint Statement in a responsible and good-faith manner,” Ri said Saturday.
North Korea’s pledge to remain committed to the deal comes just a day after an independent group of experts told the United Nations in a report that the country’s ballistic missile and weapons programs remain operational. The country was also accused of violating international sanctions on petroleum and other fuel sales.
“[North Korea] has not stopped its nuclear and missile programs and continued to defy Security Council resolutions through a massive increase in illicit ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum products, as well as through transfers of coal at sea during 2018,” the report said, according to Reuters.
Trump, meanwhile, has continued to issue praise for Kim in the weeks following his historic summit, including praising North Korea’s return of U.S. remains from the Korean War. He also appeared to suggest this week that the two leaders could meet for a second time.
“Thank you to Chairman Kim Jong Un for keeping your word & starting the process of sending home the remains of our great and beloved missing fallen! I am not at all surprised that you took this kind action. Also, thank you for your nice letter – l look forward to seeing you soon!” the president tweeted on Thursday.